


All is Forgotten, All is Forgiven

by Celairnith



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Light BDSM, Original Character(s), Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:28:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 73,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23370220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celairnith/pseuds/Celairnith
Summary: Michiko is an international law student spreading her wings in Japan. But will those wings be clipped when she becomes involved in a Death Note case with L? (A repost from my old FF.net story)
Kudos: 5





	1. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

Chapter 1

24 September, 2012

"Hey! Michi! Over here, space cadet!"

Michiko turned her head towards the sound of her nickname. Her friend Ty Sato and his girlfriend Ana Kim had finally pulled up to the curb of Hokkaido Airport. After waiting at the curb for over three hours, Michi was finally ready to get going. She closed her Nook and began to push her luggage cart towards the minivan. She began thanking the gods for the fact that she had friends who were in 'successful' bands. At least they made enough money from their gigs to put towards the upkeep of their 1999 Suzuki Every. The minivan had certainly seen better days, but at least there was enough room for Michi's minimal luggage. Before they even had a chance to park, Ty hopped out of the passengers side window and barreled towards Michi for a bear hug.

"How are you, stranger?! You've gotten so big!" Ty joked as he picked up Michi's five foot five inch frame. Michi laughed as she hugged Ty back. She was so proud to call this former linebacker teddy bear her brother, even if they were not related by blood. As Ty set Michi back on dry land, she ran to hug Ana. As Ana and Michi giggled and hugged, Ty threw the bags into the van, giving the girls time to catch up.

Michi had met Ty and Ana back in high school, when they had come over from Japan as exchange students. Ana had lived at Michi's house for that time, making her Michi's adopted sister (in Michi's parents eyes). Over the years that the friends were in college, they kept in touch via video chat and constant emails. It was through one of those video chats that Michi had convinced Ty to ask Ana out for a movie. The rest was 'history', if you call a one-year dating period history. The two had already moved into a quaint (i.e., small) apartment in Meguro area of Tokyo. Michi would be crashing on their fold out couch until she could get on her feet with her new job.

Michi crawled into the backseat and buckled in as Ty jumped back into the passengers seat via the window. Ty explained that the bolts on the door were loose and he did not want to risk having the door fall off whenever he opened it. Michi didn't believe it for a moment. She knew how lazy Ty was. Ana hopped into the drivers seat and put the car in idle as they waited for a break in the traffic.

"So Michi? Tell us all about this job of yours." Ana turned around in her seat to look at her friend.

"There isn't much to tell. I will just be working as a translator for the National Police Agency in Tokyo. It's nothing much, really."

"Oh no. It's a big thing." Ana pushed a stray hair out of her eyes before she continued, "Most English speaking tourists only know very basic Japanese and they freak out if they get arrested. Having someone there who can speak unaccented English will be a great comfort to them and will help get their point across clearer." Ty nodded enthusiastically. 

"Also the fact you speak French, Italian, Spanish, Farsi and Russian will be of huge help to the police. If they ever need it." Ty winked at Michi as she squirmed in her seat.

"It's not my fault I pick up languages so well."

"Uh huh." Ana adjusted the rearview mirror to look at Michi. "It also isn't your fault you chose to get a bachelors degree in international relations and a masters in international law, is it?" Michi glanced at her friend. 

"It is also not my fault I am an overachiever. I just wanted to get out of school and into the real world." Hence why Michi had sacrificed a social life in order to get all of her necessary schooling finished in six years. Not to say she wasn't proud of herself, but she sometimes wished she had more close friends than just Ty and Ana.

Ty chose that moment to point through the back window. "Looks like we have a break coming up, Ana. Better get ready to gun it."

Ana began to rev the engine. As the break in traffic came up alongside the van, Ana began to turn into the flow of traffic. Suddenly, Ana slammed on the breaks as the taxi in front of the van shot into their break. Ty leaned over and honked the horn, yelling some choice obscenities in the process. Michi shook her head. He watched too much Cops.

When the group finally pulled away from the curb, Ana and Ty relaxed against their seats and pulled up some Simon and Garfunkel for Michi to listen to. The minivan eventually pulled up alongside the offending taxi a couple miles down the road. As Ty tried to get into a yelling match with the cab driver, Michi looked over at the passenger in the back seat and tried to mouth an apology in Japanese. She stopped mid statement as black, sleep deprived eyes turned to look at her. The man had black shaggy hair and wore a white long sleeved shirt. He tilted his head at Michi and stuck the end of his thumb in his mouth as he continued to stare at her. Michi promptly looked away, feeling nervous under the man's probing stare. Still feeling his gaze on her, she turned back to see him waving at her. He had a smile on his face as he attempted to look friendly. The smile looked quite forced, but Michi could not help but smile back and wave.

As Ana pulled away from the light and Ty pulled himself back into the warmth of the car, Michi could not help but continue to feel the man's stare on her back. She felt like she was not only being watched, but tracked. She sighed deeply. 'Not even a whole day has gone by in Japan and I'm paranoid. Way to go Michiko.'

-End Ch. 1-


	2. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)
> 
> Chapter Notes: I didn't want to write a bunch of little drabbles and post them separately. Instead, I coalesced them all into one, broken up chapter. Hope it makes sense. Enjoy!

24 September, 2012

Michi couldn't help but stare in awe at her surroundings. She had grown up in Small Town USA, so giant buildings were a new thing for her. Oh sure, she had done some work for the Chicago police force while she worked on her masters degree. However, all of that work was freelance and she had never stepped inside the police station for anything other than her interview. She had had the dubious luck of having the police force at her house a few times as a rendezvous point before they raided one of her drugged up neighbors. Other than that, all she did was consultation work via video chat. Ty noticed Michi staring and grinned at his friend.

"Must be a little overwhelming for you, Mich. Do you want to stop and get some snacks so you can practice some of your Japanese?" Ty knew his friend would be unable to sit still until she could do some work with her hard earned language skills.

"Yes, please. Could we grab a couple Hi-chews as well? I ran out of mine on the flight."

"Nerves?" Ana asked calmly as she parallel parked in front of a twenty four hour convenience store. Ana had a bachelor’s degree in psychology and stress management, so she would certainly be the person to talk to about these things.

"I was only stressed during the takeoff and landing. I always have the unfortunate luck of sitting next to the wings, so I have learned to hate the loud noises associated with flight." Michi waited for Ty to open her door, seeing as there was no internal handle with which to open it. After Ana checked to make sure the doors were locked, the trio walked into the two-story convenience store, Ty immediately steered Michi in the direction of the candy. He knew all too well that when Michi was stressed or working on a difficult problem, she had to have some sweets. She claimed it stimulated her brain, but Ty had a feeling it really stemmed back to her military family upbringing. His train of thought was broken as Michi softly squealed in delight.

"They have raspberry cheesecake flavored Hi-Chews? Japan rocks!" Michi walked back to the front of the store to grab a basket and proceeded to fill it up with all the sweets that could fit. Ana calmly walked up next to Ty with another basket.

"What's that for?" Ty asked.

"This is for our food. Also, it's the last basket, so I don't want her to get any bright idea of buying too many sweets." Just as that utterance slipped from Ana's mouth, they overheard Michi talking to the store manager, asking if there were any more vanilla flavored Koalas March left. He kept reassuring her that she had taken the last ten boxes they had in the store. Ana shook her head as she walked towards the vegetables to get ingredients for her stir-fry. Someone had to make sure Michi ate something other than Pocky and Kit Kats while she was in Japan.

A While Later

The taxi quietly rolled up to the convenience store. As the passenger in the backseat rolled down his window, his mind was very clearly elsewhere. A manila folder sat next to him, filled to the brim with unexplained deaths. He was also still reeling from his social interaction with the girl in the van. No one had ever truly smiled at him, let alone mimicked his feeble attempts at being social. Then again, she didn't know what and who he was. Not that he would ever see her again. He climbed out of the car and told the driver to drive around the block once. He would be out in a moment.  
Once the car was out of sight, he walked inside. He was just going to grab a couple sweets so he could nibble on them as he read the file.

That was, provided there were any sweets left. The man stared in horror at the ransacked candy aisle. What kind of monstrous fiend would do such a thing? Shrugging at his loss, he picked up a few boxes of Pocky, a stray container of chocolate Koalas March, a couple Anpans and grabbed a handful of Kit Kats from a bin. As he paid for his meager purchase, the store manager kept apologizing for the lack of sweets. He said that a young girl from the States had taken as much candy as she could (for her work, he claimed) and had just paid for it and left a little while ago. 'For work, huh?' The man turned and looked at the candy aisle with a new sense of admiration. 'Looks like great minds think alike.'

Elsewhere

"Wow! This is a beautiful area!" Michi looked around at the trees lining the street. Her friends had claimed this was a very cheap apartment, but the surroundings did not belay that fact. As Ana punched in the code to the apartment complex, Michi playfully punched Ty in the shoulder for every button Ana pressed. Unfortunately for Ty, Ana 'forgot' the code three times before successfully getting them through the gate. Twenty punches in all. Ana pulled into the garage below the apartment and popped the trunk. Ty swiftly got out of the car and grabbed Michi's bags before she could protest.

After walking up the stairs, Michi took off her shoes just inside the door and slipped into a pair of house slippers, lovingly labeled 'Michi's slippers. Do Not Touch these shoes, Ty!' Michi giggled as she proceeded to carry the bags of groceries to the kitchen that was just to the right of the entryway. As she and Ana prepared the stir-fry, Ty put Michi's bags in the living area closet and unfolded her bed. They were all planning to go to bed right after dinner. There was a separate room to the right of the living area, which was designated as Ty and Ana's room. Thankfully, there was a guest bathroom in the hallway leading to the kitchen, so Michi would only need to steal Ty and Michi's bathroom for a shower. 

The trio had a lovely night eating stir-fry, watching recordings of Cops and playing a few rounds of dai hin min (very poor man). Around 23:00, the trio broke off to their respected sleeping areas. Michi brushed her teeth and picked out a nightgown to sleep in. She had to get a good nights rest before her first day at work tomorrow. As she changed, she felt hairs go up on the back of her neck. She turned around and realized she had left the curtains open to the balcony area. She closed them shut, taking the time to note the other apartments across from her window. All of the windows were dark, so she shook off her uneasiness. As she slipped under the sheets, she couldn't help but feel scared. This was the first time in a long time she had slept alone in a room. Normally, she had a roommate or her dog Beegee sleeping near her. Michi was quickly reminded she was not alone however, as telling noises slipped out from beneath Ty and Ana's room. Michi rolled her eyes and grabbed her iPod. It was going to be a long night.

-End of Chapter 2-


	3. Observations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

25 September, 2012

As Michi awoke, she took immediate note of her surroundings. Where was she? She was in her friend's apartment in Meguro, Japan. Was she in any immediate danger? No, she could move her limbs and breathe easily. She did feel tense from the plane ride, though. Since she had full control of her faculties, what did her body need in that moment? Michi's body required the use of the bathroom, shower, clothes and food, in that order.

As Michi waited for Ty to finish his forty-five minute shower, she flipped through her employee handbook that she had collected from her mail that morning. Apparently, the NPA already knew she was here. She didn't know whether to be flattered or freaked out. She flipped through the requisite dress code, employee contact list and safety precautions, only to stop on her favorite part of every work manual: the sexual harassment code. Thanks to her past experiences with being the only female in an all male work environment, Michi had learned that the sexual harassment code was a girl's best (and worst) friend. Depending on the wording, she could easily get into trouble with her male colleagues. It was rarely as easy for the guys to get in trouble, but Michi had learned how to roll with and throw a few punches in order to gain the guys' respect. This code was a lot stricter than most, even citing that emotional attachments to one's colleagues could interfere with a productive work environment. Huh. This was going to be an interesting group.

Just then, Ty walked out of the bathroom, followed by a thick cloud of steam. 'Great. A cold shower on the first day of work.' Michi thought. Thanks to the high humidity outside, Michi was going to have to blow dry her hair before going outdoors. Otherwise, her hair would never dry off. That meant a five-minute shower instead of the ten minutes she had hoped for. Cursing her luck, Michi hopped in the shower and quickly washed up with orange blossom shower gel before washing her hair with a rose scented shampoo and conditioner combination. She then stepped gingerly onto the bathmat and grabbed her robe from the doorjamb. She walked into Ana and Ty's room, only to find Ana curling her hair in front of the wall length mirror.

"Morning Ana. Can I borrow your hair dryer?"

"Of course. Just let me finish this curl so we don't blow a fuse." Michi laughed and sat down next to her friend. Ana unplugged her curler and set up the blow dryer. She then offered to dry Michi's hair for her, since her shoulders were still sore from the flight the night before. Michi heartily accepted and watched as Ana combed through her hair.

Despite Michiko's name, her looks did not belay her quarter Japanese heritage. She had always been told she had very 'universal' looks, thanks to her Japanese grandmother and Italian grandfather on her mother's side. On her father's side of the family, she only knew her grandmother, who was half Irish and half Scottish. Her paternal grandfather had been born and raised in Germany. Unfortunately, he had died of tuberculosis two weeks before Michiko had been born. Thanks to everyone's genetic help, Michiko could have passed as a commoner in any country. The only Japanese part of her that showed was her petite stature and flawless, porcelain skin. Her mid length curly brown hair that fell just below her shoulders was a gift from her Italian grandfather and her strong hazel eyes were attributed to her Scottish roots. According to the family, the German and Irish bloods had only donated their drinking abilities to Michiko, not that she had tested that out lately. Her favorite alcohols were Guinness beer and a Cupcake Vineyards Riesling from the Mosel river region of Germany. So maybe there was some proof to her family's claims.

As Ana put the finishing touches on Michi's hair, Michi began to mentally rummage through her limited wardrobe for a first day at work outfit. She settled on her black pantsuit with the plunging V collar. For modesty's sake, she would wear a lavender tank top underneath the jacket. Topped with her black loafers with the one-inch heel, Michi felt she would make a decent impression on her first day at work. Ana rummaged through her jewelry box while Michi got dressed.

"I know the whole something borrowed something blue crap only applies to weddings, but I want you to have a great first day at work. I know you're wearing blue lingerie..." Ana winked before continuing "... and that pantsuit is old since it came from a thrift store. That top is new since I can still see the tag sticking out at the back." Michi blushed and plucked the offending tag from it's home. Ana smiled when she saw the blush creep up on Michi's face. "That only means you need something borrowed. I know you don't like flashy jewelry, but I think these will be appropriate for today." Here, Ana opened her hands to reveal a small pair of silver hoops, intertwined with a thread of gold that followed the loop. Michi gasped and hugged her generous friend. She put on the earrings, wolfed down her breakfast, grabbed her bento box that Ty had thoughtfully prepared for her and left to catch her train.

Later That Day

Michi collapsed in her chair. It was not even noon and she had a pile of papers to fill out. Upon arriving at the police station, she had been greeted by the chief of police and led to her office. She had her own office, overlooking Tokyo Station and furnished in cherry wood. The human resources representative had been waiting in the office for Michi to fill out some basic paperwork. Not even twenty minutes into organizing her office, the chief had knocked on her door asking for her assistance in translating for a few 'American kids' who had been suspected of smuggling cocaine into Japan. 

It had turned out that only one of the three kids knew anything about it and had been charged with intent to distribute. Michi had to give the kid credit, though. It was hard enough to smuggle coke from South America into the United States, let alone onto a flight to Japan. Michi had then needed to call the distraught mother and the American embassy. She had discovered that the kid was wanted for a prior conviction of breaking and entering in Arizona. As such, she needed to fill out a stack of papers to get the kid extradited and escorted from Japan to California and, finally, into the arms of Arizona police. 'Why did I sign up for this?' Michi thought to herself as she typed up the interrogation report. She sipped on her iced chai latte that her assistant had brought to her a few moments ago. Why she had an assistant, was anyone's guess. Her compatriots probably thought everyone in America had an assistant, so they had gotten her one. She was at a loss with what to do with the poor guy, so she sent him on random errands.

As Michi put the finishing touches on her report, there was a soft knock at the door. She groaned inwardly as she stood to welcome her assistant, Toichi Saito. Toichi immediately bowed, which told Michi something was up.

"Forgive the intrusion, Nakashima-san, but the Chief needs your help. They have a Russian in room 18 and they need your translating skills." This time, Michi made her displeasure known by lowering her head and letting out a low groan. She then looked up, took a deep breath and bowed to Toichi.

"Thank you, Saito-kun. I will go over there immediately. In the meantime, could you unpack and organize my law books for me? Please do it by country and then each countries region. Alphabetically, please." Toichi bowed and set right to work unpacking the boxes. Michi grabbed a manila folder and stuffed it with blank papers. If she was going to confront a new person, she liked to look like she had read up on them. Even if it was only a prop, the folder put many criminals and suspected criminals on edge. She also took the time to put on some fake reading glasses and tie her hair up in a makeshift bun. Every Russian she had interrogated seemed to have a penchant for the 'sexy teacher' look. However, that could just be the male species in general. Whatever it was, Michi's supposed sex appeal had helped to drag out many a helpful tidbit in the past. Surely there was no harm in using it here. She also grabbed a Hi-Chew to suck on as she walked to the interrogation room. It would help her focus.

Michi stepped on the elevator just as the chief ran to the elevator door. Michi held the door open for him and he stepped in gratefully.

"I'm sorry to work you so hard on your first day, Nakashima-san. However, we have been without a decent translator for almost a year. So these cases have kind of piled up." He looked over at her sheepishly.

"It's alright, Chief. I kind of expected it, what with how quickly my application was accepted." Michi pressed the fifth floor button and rode quietly up with the Chief, gathering her wits in the process. The chief cleared his throat as they arrived at their stop.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but your performance is going to be evaluated today by one of my superiors. I'm not telling you how to do your job, but it would behoove you to go well beyond your training." 

'In other words,' Michi thought, 'don't make it look like I made a poor choice in hiring you.' Michi smiled warmly as they walked to door 18. "I promise I will not let you down, sir."

"I have full faith in you. Here is the mans record, so you can peruse it as you will." Michi took the paper and placed it in her prop file. With one final nod, she walked through the door to the interrogation room as the chief walked into the adjoining observation room.

'It's now or never, Michiko. Let's show them what you are made of.'

~~~

Michi immediately noted that the room was freezing cold. However, the man in front of her didn't seem to notice or care. His grey blue eyes pierced right through her as he ruffled his short black hair. 'Good. He noticed the file.' The tic had given his nerves away. Michi sat down so that she was seated at the head of the table with the man on the right side of the square table. She then scooted her chair a little to the right so that her legs could be clearly seen. Though she was wearing pants, they hugged in all the right places. Also, the way Michi sat forced the man to tilt his head and look to the left in order to look at her, which was the natural reading position for Russian readers. By forcing him to mimic learned reading techniques of left to right with his eyes, Michi knew this could put the man more at ease. To Michi's left, the black observation glass appeared completely opaque. But she knew better. Her job and the chief's reputation could be at stake if she messed up.

Michi sat there for a moment, letting the tension build between her and her target. She then crossed her legs and calmly reached for the manila folder with her left hand to prop it against her knee. She calmly pulled out the six pages that the chief had given her and began to read through it.

"So. Andrei Garin." Michi spoke in a lower register, as it befitted the Russian language, "You have been through the hoops many times, comrade." Here, she began to list off his many offenses and the subsequent punishments. "Stealing bread: eighteen months in prison. Breaking and entering: ten months, with early release for good behavior. Manslaughter with a deadly weapon: only fifteen months." Here, Michi raised her eyebrow, looking at Andrei for answers.

"It should say I took a plea bargain." Andrei mumbled. If a bear could talk, his low, grumbling voice would perfectly mimic Andrei's. 'A man who enjoys his cigarettes, I see.' Michi put the file back on the table.

"I will make sure that gets noted in your file, comrade. Now," Here Michi leaned forward, jutting out her breasts in the process, "Would you mind telling me why you are in this room right now?"

Andrei licked his lips and looked nervously at the observation glass. "They didn't tell you?"

"What my superiors have or have not disclosed to me is none of your concern." Michi leaned back in her chair and re-crossed her legs, slowly. "I want to hear it from you. If it could help with your court case, I will disclose it to whomever would represent you." Michi chose this moment to put her elbow on the chairs arm and nibble at her left thumbnail while trying to stare at Andrei in a sexy manner. She motioned with her right hand for him to speak.

Andrei squirmed in his seat and licked his lips again. 'Gotcha.' Michi thought triumphantly. She cut her internal celebration short as Andrei began to tell his story.

"Well... I don't know how else to say this. I am here looking for an item for my boss."

"Like what, comrade? Decorative chopsticks?" Michi dug at Andrei's pride by belittling his choice in words. Andrei shot her a look of contempt before continuing.

"Nothing like that. It's a notebook. My boss had received word from one of his Japanese contacts that there is a notebook that can kill people if you write their name in it. I personally think he's crazy, but he is my boss. I can't disobey him."

'You aren't the only one who thinks he is crazy.' Michi thought. "What is the name of this contact?"

"The boss called him Denueve. I highly doubt that is his real name. Or if it even is a man."

"I see." Michi picked up the file again. If nothing else, her hands needed something to play with. "And your boss' name?"

"You know I won't divulge that information. No matter what you do." Andrei looked away from Michi and focused on the observation glass.

"Oh, really?" Michi purred. This was where things could get tricky. If she played the part too hard, Andrei would see right through her act. However, if she played the role too soft, she could get overpowered and need the help of whoever was behind the glass. The last thing Michi wanted was to be rescued like a damsel in distress. "If that's the case, comrade..." Michi stood up and took her glasses off, gently setting them on the table, "... then I think a little quid pro quo is in order."

"Quid pro quo?" Andrei looked dubious as Michi sat on the table just to his left. Close enough for him to smell her, but he could not touch her thanks to the shackles around his wrists and ankles.

"You give me some information and I will not blackmail you."

Andrei laughed nervously, "And what blackmail would that be?" Michi took this moment to lean close to the man, giving him a chance to peak at her cleavage if he so chose to.

"I would have to call your wife and tell her that you are being held on account of conspiracy and assault on a female investigator. I highly doubt she would like to hear all the steamy details of how you raped a woman who was merely trying to interrogate you on your boss' name. Of all the things for her to get a call about... and those poor children." Michi was fishing blindly here, hoping against hope this man had a wife and kids. The flash of fear in his eyes sparked her hope anew.

"Please! You wouldn't... you couldn't..."

"You aren't in Russia, Andrei. We have our own rules here. Now..." Michi chose this moment to grab Andrei's shirt and pull him closer. "Talk."

"His name is Ruslan Oborin. He runs a few groups that are in cahoots with other mafia entities. The one I'm a part of is called Volya. We are merely a security group. Nowhere near the elite groups Ruslan runs with. The Volya group is in charge of keeping in contact with the Japanese and Chinese entities that give us information for other information. Hence why I'm here trying to get information on this notebook for my boss. Please don't call Anya!" Here, Andrei began to cry. Michi felt bad for the poor guy. Unlike a lot of the other guys she had interrogated, Andrei really cared for his wife. It certainly didn't sound like a marriage of convenience.

"Good work, comrade." Michi chose this moment to stand and brush her hands on her pants. As she straightened her jacket, she looked at the man as he hung his head in shame. "I will make sure that we get you back to Russia as soon as possible. Your information has been invaluable to us. We might call on you in the future." 'Provided you are alive after divulging your boss' name to the Japanese government.' Michi put on her glasses and picked up her folder. When she was sure the door was shut closed behind her, she leaned against the door and let out the breath she had been holding in. She took off the glasses and undid her bun. The mask was no longer needed. As she placed her hairpins and glasses in the folder, the chief walked out of the door to her right.

"I must say, those were some... unconventional techniques you used there." The chief looked very uncomfortable as he spoke the veiled compliment. Michi could tell her act had worked on more than just Andrei.

"'Know your enemy.' Isn't that how the phrase goes, sir?"

"Yes. Yes indeed." The chief coughed before continuing. "My superior was very impressed with your performance. He wants to know if you will meet with him in his office for lunch?" Michi raised her eyebrow. This could take a turn for the worse if she misinterpreted the superior's meaning for lunch. The chief could tell he had not clearly relayed his message and quickly added, "He wants to talk to you about a case he needs help with. Your interpreting skills will come in very handy for this job." Michi nodded her consent.

"Of course. Let me grab my lunch and then I will head to his office." The chief held up his hand, stopping Michi in her tracks.

"That won't be necessary. We already called Saito-kun and asked him to deliver your lunch to the office. It should be waiting for you. Twentieth floor, the room at the end of the hall."

"Thank you, sir." Michi walked to the elevator and pressed the button. She turned and saw the chief walk back into the observation room. Michi briefly wondered who else had been in that room before walking onto the elevator. She saw that the twentieth floor button had to be operated with a key card. She pulled her key card out of her pocket and swiped it; hoping permission had already been keyed into the system. It had. 

Michi straightened her suit and pulled her hair back from her face into a low ponytail, using a rubber band she found in her other pocket. Looking in the reflective glass of the elevator, she made sure her makeup was still in place. As the doors opened on the twentieth floor, she took a deep breath and turned right to start down the corridor.

The walk felt longer than it really was. When Michi finally reached the last door, she prayed to the gods for their strength. Then she knocked.

"Enter." Michi heard a low voice call out. She opened the door and stepped inside. In front of her, she could see a metal desk with countless computer monitors on it. To her left and right were even more monitors, showing images inside the station and out onto the nearby street. She could even see the coffee shop that was five blocks away from the station being displayed on one screen. 'Gods! How paranoid is this guy? Or does he have some sort of god complex?' Michi turned her eyes back to the desk, where the back of a swivel chair faced her. The man in question was looking at a giant screen that covered the whole wall behind the desk. The screen was broken into twenty different quadrants, each of which showed the inside of an interrogation room. Michi briefly saw Andrei being led out of room 18 before she noticed the man was speaking to her.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't catch that." Michi mentally berated herself for losing awareness of her surroundings.

"I said you did a terrific job in there. A little too perfect... But we will discuss that later. Would you care for a macaron?" The chair turned and as the occupant of the chair was revealed, Michi's world turned upside down.

'Damn it!' Black, sleep deprived eyes gazed back at her in amusement. 'It's him!'

-End Ch. 3-


	4. First Day Promotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

25 September, 2012

Michiko stood in the doorway in shock. The man sitting crouched in the chair was none other than the creepy guy from the cab. Well, 'creepy' may be taking it a little far, but that was the first impression Michi had gotten when she had first laid eyes on him. The man slowly untangled himself from his chair, never taking his eyes from Michiko as he shuffled around the desk towards her. Michi suddenly wished she had had enough foresight to bring some sort of weapon with her. She did not think a manila envelope would scare this guy. When the man stood in front of her, she unintentionally flinched. His lip twitched slightly as he grabbed her wrist and brought it closer towards him. He then placed a few colorful macarons in Michi's hand before letting go.

"Good. You do not trust me immediately. That will come in handy." As the man scratched his head, he tried to reassure Michi by mumbling, "Those aren't poisoned, you know." Michi snapped back to the present and stuttered out a thank you. The man tilted his head, studying Michi's face for a while. When the silence got too tense, he turned around and began moving back towards the desk. He motioned to the front of the desk. "Grab a chair, and we shall begin."

Michi looked around for another chair, only finding a red and black papasan chair to her far right. 'Great. I have to sit on a glorified beanbag. How degrading is this?' Michi closed the door behind her. She then placed her folder in the chair before dragging its bulk across the room to the front of the desk. As she tried to sit comfortably in the chair, the man began organizing his macarons by color. 'Huh. At least he has a penchant for details.' The man then turned his attention to one of the monitors to his left and began typing rapidly. He blew a stray lock of hair away from his face as he continued typing. After a few minutes passed in silence, Michi cleared her throat.

"Um... sir?"

"You may address me as Ryuzaki." As he continued typing with his right hand, he reached down behind the desk with his left hand. Michi heard the metallic click of a desk drawer opening and heavy thumps and rustling as the man called Ryuzaki rifled through the contents without taking his eyes off the monitor. He finally found what he was looking for and the drawer closed with a solid thunk. He pushed a folder towards Michi. "This is what I need your help with."

Michi was relieved to do something other than look around the room. She took the folder and flipped it open to reveal several pictures. They had clearly been taken without the targets knowledge as many were blurred and the subject was rarely looking at the lens. After flipping through the pictures, Michi set them aside to look at the notes. The entire folder was written in Russian, which didn't trouble Michi. What troubled her, however, was the wording. She had to triple check her translations to make sure her eyes had not tricked her. Something about a 'notebook of death' kept popping up at random intervals. Her mind immediately flashed back to what Andrei had said in the interrogation room just moments before: 'My boss had received word from one of his Japanese contacts that there is a notebook that can kill people if you write their name in it.' Had Andrei really been telling the truth? And if it was true, why was the Japanese government so interested in the notebook? Michi also noted that there were several black marks on the pages. Noting the length of the marks and the prepositions placed before them, Michi could only surmise that a name had been blacked out. She could tell it was only one particular name because there were other names that Michi could read very clearly.

When she finally finished perusing the folder, she set it on top of the photos before leaning back and closing her eyes. By closing her eyes, Michi could gather her thoughts and put them in their proper order. The Russian group, Volya, was attempting to get their hands on a killer notebook in order to hold other countries hostage. By threatening to kill off figureheads of each country, the Russians felt they could control all of the world's resources. As such, heavy hitters like the United States and Great Britain would come crawling to Russia if they wanted to survive. 'And I thought the world was already fucked up before this notebook got thrown into the mix.' Michi opened her eyes, only to see Ryuzaki staring intently at her.

"So, what do you deduce from your readings, Nakashima-san?" Ryuzaki picked up a purple macaroon and broke it in half, nibbling on each half as he waited for Michi's response.

"What I deduce is that the world is about to go to hell in a hand basket." Ryuzaki tilted his head, encouraging Michi to elaborate. "If this notebook really does exist, whoever has it must be apprehended immediately. They could then be encouraged to destroy the notebook themselves or face a long time in prison for treason and aiding and abetting." Michi rubbed her eyes before continuing, "Though I have my doubts that this 'notebook of death' exists, if the Russians are this hard pressed to find it, that could only mean two things: that there is something infecting their water or this notebook really truly exists. If this... thing exists, we have to get off our asses and find the owner as quickly as our resources allow us." Michi stopped rubbing her eyes and looked at Ryuzaki. She was startled to see his wrists out in front of him in an 'arrest me' position. "Um... Ryuzaki?"

"You just said that whomever was in possession of the Death Note should turn themselves in immediately. As you can see, that is exactly what I am doing." Ryuzaki tilted his head to the left, never blinking as he looked at Michi's startled expression. "Well? Aren't you going to arrest me, Nakashima-san?"

Michi's brain misfired. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that this notebook really existed. And that this man in front of her was admitting he had knowledge of the item.

"What the hell did you just say?" Michi whispered. Ryuzaki smiled and pushed the chair back from the desk. 'Surely he is just fucking with me.' Michi thought. Ryuzaki then reached behind his back and extracted a nondescript black notebook. As he pushed it towards Michi, she could feel the evil radiating off of the thing. The only thought that pierced through the fog in Michi brain was, 'He was sitting on this the whole time?!' When Michi tried to reach for the notebook, Ryuzaki slapped at her hands, making her jump.

"Don't touch it. Whoever touches the notebook is forced to be its bearer until someone else touches it. I don't want you to be burdened with that curse." Ryuzaki flipped open the cover of the book to the first page. Michi's blood chilled as she read the words written on the page:

Death Note: How to use it

\- The human whose name is written in this note shall die.  
\- This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.  
-If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the persons name, it will happen.  
\- If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of e heart attack.  
\- After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

At the bottom of the page were two more notes. They almost looked like afterthoughts, seeing how carelessly they were scribbled in.

\- If the owner of the Death Note does not kill within thirteen days of the last entry, he or she will die.  
\- If the Death Note is burnt, destroyed, or otherwise damaged in any way, all those who have touched that Death Note will die.

Michi could see why Ryuzaki had not wanted her to touch the Death Note. If that last note were true, she would have died if the notebook were to be destroyed.

"So destroying the notebook is out of the question then?" Michi glanced at Ryuzaki.

"For the sake of my self preservation, yes. The Death Note cannot be destroyed." Ryuzaki then proceeded to flip through the pages for Michi's perusal. In the last few pages, she recognized the names of several well-known child molesters in the United States who had died of random heart attacks a few days after their arrest dates. 'Oh gods. It's true.' Michi leaned as far back from the book and Ryuzaki as she could. This man had the capability of killing her and her family. She had to play along with his plan until she could alert the proper authorities.

"May I ask you a few questions regarding this case?" Michi licked her lips, thinking that the room had suddenly grown really hot in the past few minutes.

"I would question your abilities as an investigator if you didn't interrogate me." Ryuzaki closed the Death Note and sat in a crouched position in his chair. "I will try to be as truthful as my knowledge allows me to be. I am well aware you have a TS/SCI clearance level, but forgive me if my memory is foggy on some details." Michi wondered what else this man knew about her aside from her top-level security clearance. She had received a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance shortly before leaving for her job here in Japan. The tests and screenings had been rigorous, but she had passed with flying colors. Michi shook her head and looked at the man in front of her.

"How did you get the Death Note?"

"I became the unfortunate owner of this Death Note after a few previous cases. We received information about the existence of more than one Death Note in Japan and we pursued someone who we suspected to be the owner of one of them. Through that, we found both Death Notes, which have since been destroyed along with the owners. The man we pursued subsequently died the day after the investigation concluded. By his own hand, I assume." Ryuzaki chewed on his thumbnail thoughtfully before continuing. "I then tracked some rumors that there was another Death Note in America. That was how I got my hands on this one." He patted the Death Note in front of him. "Now that I have it, I'm cursed to write down a name every thirteen days, or I will die."

"Murderers and child molesters. What gives you the right to play God?" Michi crossed her arms across her chest.

"I have no right other than the preservation of my own life." Ryuzaki tilted his head, focusing his unblinking eyes on Michi's face. "Wouldn't you want to do anything possible to stay alive if you knew one moments slip up could end your life?"

"That is an interesting way of putting it. But I am the one doing the interrogation here." Michi skillfully sidestepped Ryuzaki's question.

"Of course. Please continue." Ryuzaki picked up another macaroon and nibbled on it.

"Have you ever made a mistake when it came to the Death Note?"

Ryuzaki's gaze became distant as he stopped eating the macaron. "I have only slipped up on three occasions. Once deliberately and the other two times... well, the results were unfortunate."

Michi's arms tightened across her chest. She swallowed her fear before continuing, "What happened?"

Ryuzaki's eyes came back into focus and his gaze lowered to meet Michi's eyes. She instantly felt like her soul had just taken an ice bath.

"Twice, I wrote down names of people before their trials were completed. One rapist and another child molester were found to have been innocent shortly after their deaths. The only way I could justify it is to say that my thirteen day limits were coming to a close and I got sloppy."

"I see." Michi uncrossed her arms. "So what do you need me for?" Ryuzaki tapped the folder Michi had set aside.

"One of the Russian contacts will be flying in tomorrow night to enquire about the Death Note. He has a penchant for women, so I want you to come along with me as my translator to put the man at ease." Michi could tell Ryuzaki wasn't telling her everything.

"What is the catch?"

Ryuzaki picked up his abandoned macaron, "His penchant for women is strictly in a red light district fashion." He nibbled on the macaroon, taking note of Michi's expressions. Michi rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Alright. As long as I get a pay raise for this, I'll go along with it." Michi stood up and collected the folder and pictures. "I will talk with you later about the details. I have some extradition papers that require my immediate attention."

"Yes. About contacting me..." Ryuzaki opened the desk drawer again, withdrawing a cell phone and a fourth generation Glock 19. Michi looked at the gun warily. Ryuzaki pointed to the cell phone. "Just key in the number 1 and press send. You will automatically be connected to me no matter where you are or how poor the signal is." He then gestured to the Glock. "I assume you know how to use a gun. I did some research and found this was suitable for someone with feminine hands. The only thing you have to figure out is how to hide it on your persons at all times." As Michi collected the cell phone and gun, Ryuzaki stood and picked up the Death Note with his thumb and index finger. He followed Michi to the door and opened the door with his free hand. "Until next time, Nakashima-san."

"Please call me Michiko. And I have one more question, Ryuzaki." He tilted his head upon hearing his name. "What was the deliberate mistake you made in regards to the Death Note?"

"Oh that. I deliberately misspelled someone's name in the Death Note. Of course, I wrote a real name after it to ensure at least one death within my thirteen-day sentence. I discovered that misspelling the name spared the person from an unfortunate death."

"Well that was fortunate for them." Michi stepped out the door and walked down the hall to the elevator. Ryuzaki closed the door behind her and flipped open the Death Note. In the middle of the book was a single misspelled name.

L Lawleit. Had it not been for the fact he had managed to find someone whose name matched his 'error', he would have been dead, according to the rules of the Death Note

'Yes. Fortunate indeed.' Ryuzaki thought to himself.

-End Ch. 4-


	5. Operation Russian Roulette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

25 September, 2012

Michi didn't finish her extradition report until well after 22:00. The chief had told her she could finish up the Andrei interview report at home, so long as she emailed it to him by 13:00 the next day. The chief also told her she could stay home the rest of the day tomorrow since he had been informed that she had an important mission the following night. Michi said goodbye to the chief and reminded him to send her Toichi's contact information so she could give him the day off tomorrow.

As Michi walked across the street to the train station, it occurred to her that she did not own any clothing that was 'red light district' appropriate. She pulled up an Internet browser on her new phone and searched for nearby adult costume shops. She discovered that there was a five-story shop next to Akihabara station. It was discreetly titled Ms, even though the pictures showed that the store was not discreet in the least. The Akihabara station was just north of Tokyo station, so Michi hopped on a line that was heading north. She would catch the Yamanote line on her way back to Meguro.

When Michi arrived in Akihabara, she walked out of the station and turned to her left towards a store that prominently displayed skimpy female outfits in its windows. She paused outside the door to check on her bank account. When she pulled out her phone, she noticed that she had a text message from someone labeled 'R'. 'Probably Ryuzaki checking up on me.' Michi opened the text message and read it.

Michiko, I figured you might need to get some supplies for tomorrows mission. Consider this your advance payment for future services rendered. R.

Ignoring the potential double entendre, Michi clicked on the link Ryuzaki had included. The link took her to her bank account statement. Michi stared in disbelief at the amount.

'Four hundred thousand yen?! That's just a little over five thousand American dollars!' Michi took a deep breath and lowered the phone. 'This guy certainly has money to throw around. Then again, depending on how dangerous this mission is, the money could come in handy to help mom and dad.' Michi then began to examine her phone. She figured she could at least send some pictures of potential outfits to Ryuzaki, since he was putting forward all this money. When she found the application, a disturbing message popped up: Error. No camera found.

'What? But I'm staring right at the camera.' Michi put her face closer to the front facing camera. She could see a tiny red dot blinking inside the camera housing. 'That bastard! He's watching me!' Squelching her initial reaction to throw the phone away, Michi took a deep breath. 'Fine. Two can play at that game.' Michi placed the camera in its holster, which was attached to her hip. This time, she made sure the camera was facing outward. 

'You want a show? I'll make sure you get a show.'

Later

It was just past midnight when Michi let herself into the apartment. She made sure to gingerly walk down the hall to her fold out bed so as not to wake up Ty and Ana. She stashed the offending bags into the closet and tiptoed into the kitchen to warm up a frozen dinner. As she ate her turkey and cranberry sauce, she thought back on her first day at work. She couldn't think of any other person in existence that had received a promotion on their first day at work. Indeed, it was very odd, but Michi wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. 'Of course,' Michi looked towards the closet where her new outfits were stored, 'This is one suspicious gift horse.'

After Michi threw away her dinner remains, she brushed her teeth and changed into a black t-shirt and loose fitting black pants. As she pulled back the covers, she reached for her phone. She figured she would send Ryuzaki a message. If nothing else, to let him know she got home safe. When she saw the blinking message light, she rolled her eyes. 'Of course he would beat me to the punch.' Michi thought as she opened the text.

'Michiko, I'm glad to see you got home safe. Please know that the video camera was installed purely for your safety. I truly hope I didn't offend you. R.' Michi smiled at the message. Maybe she was being too hard on Ryuzaki. He wasn't being a jerk, he was just watching out for her. Before she could respond, her message box pinged again.

'Also, I hope you didn't pick the yellow and black outfit. I don't think the informant will take you seriously if you look like a bumblebee. R.'

Michiko turned off the phone and pulled the sheets over her head. 'I take it back. He is still a jerk.'

Next Day

26 September, 2013

After a restless nights sleep, Michi woke up around 9:00. As she stumbled to the kitchen for breakfast, she saw that there was a note on the table from Ana. It simply stated that Ana and Ty would be going out for the night and that Michi was free to do whatever she wanted to. Michi snorted, 'I would rather be going out with you guys than hanging onto my boss' arm dressed like a hooker.'

After pouring herself some cereal and soymilk, Michi flopped on her bed and pulled out her laptop from her travel bag. She wanted to get that report done well before 13:00 so she would have time to relax and get made up for the mission. Not that she was doing this for Ryuzaki. She was doing it so that the informant would believe the ruse that she was putting forth. If she blew their cover, Michi would never let herself live it down.

After emailing the interrogation report at 12:00 on the dot, Michi took a long, hot shower and put her hair up in foam rollers. She then sat back and watched a Japanese soap opera. Unlike American soap operas, this one was actually believable. She lay there painting her nails and flipping through channels until 17:30, when she received a text from Ryuzaki.

'This is your two hour warning. Meet me outside Meguro station at 19:30. R.' Michi took that as her cue to pull out her make up bag and go to her bathroom to slather on make up. Two swipes of red lipstick, a layer of dark eye shadow, three swipes of pink blush on each cheek and three layers of mascara later, Michi felt she looked significantly 'tarted up' as her little sister would put it. She looked like she was on the prowl for clients, but also ragged enough to look like she could have been on the streets since she was a young teenager. Fear of potential STD's would keep the wary ones at bay.

Michi then walked into her room and pulled out her clothes for the night. First, she put on the black lacy lingerie. She was actually glad to have made that particular purchase because it made her feel more powerful. The opaque red tights went on next, closely followed by a black pleather miniskirt. Michi had made sure that the skirt had a slit up the side so that she could easily grab her gun, if she needed to. Finally, Michi pulled on an off the shoulder, long sleeved red top with black netting. Adding gold hoops and a gold cross for irony's sake, Michi felt she was ready to go. She grabbed a small black purse and placed her cell phone, house key and lipstick in it before strapping her gun to the inside of her left thigh. 'I feel like I might need another shower after this.' Michi was brought back to reality as her phone vibrated in her purse. That was her alarm, telling her she had fifteen minutes to get to the station. She walked to the door and took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry about this, Momma. It's just for work.' Michi thought before she closed the door behind her.

As she walked down the street towards the station, Michi could feel eyes watching her every move. Once in awhile, she got a catcall, which she promptly answered with a middle finger. Upon her arrival at the station, Michi could see other prostitutes lingering in the alleyways that hugged both sides of Meguro station. The other women eyed Michi warily, not sure what to make of this newcomer. Michi was still five minutes early, so she leaned against the brick wall to the right of the station. The heat of the day had not yet seeped out of the brick and she briefly relished in its warmth. 

Just as she was starting to get comfortable, Michi saw a black car roll up to the front of the station and pull to a stop. The women around her started to preen as they positioned themselves in ways that they felt would grab their customer’s attentions. Michi got caught up in the action and pressed her shoulders into the brick, jutting out her chest. She also turned her head to the left so her face would be partially obscured by her hair. If the person in that car really was Ryuzaki, he would be able to spot her with no problem. The position also helped to deter anyone else who could be in that car. If they couldn't see everything a woman was offering, including her face, they would pass over her immediately.

The back passenger door opened and the man stepped out onto the street. He was dressed in a basic black business suit with a crisp white shirt and skinny black tie to accent it. His black hair hung in spikes around his face and fell to his shoulders. He stood at an impressive five foot ten inches as he surveyed the women, gauging their wares. 'That can't be him. He's too... too...' Michi's brain stopped midsentence as the man walked straight towards her. The sleep deprived eyes gave him away as he looked her up and down. Michi had a distinct feeling that the appraisal was not part of the act. He then held out his hand towards her. She looked at his hand and back to his eyes as if to say, 'You know I trust you, right?' The man nodded as if he had read her mind. She took his hand and let him lead her back towards the car. Michi distinctly heard one of the prostitutes hiss a vulgar word under her breath. As Michi slid into the backseat, she threw what she hoped to be a haughty glare at the speaker.

The man then slid into the backseat with her and closed the door. He tapped on the dividing glass to signal to the driver to keep driving. Michi looked out of the corner of her right eye to see the man assume a crouching position on the seat. 'Oh yeah. It's him.' Michi relaxed and looked out the left window as they drove along. After a couple minutes, Ryuzaki tapped her on her shoulder. This time his body was facing her and his hands rested on his knees.

"I was wondering if you would need anything in order to relax? I know this is a highly stressful situation for you, but I want you to appear as though you have been in this lifestyle for a long time. You look the part..." here, Michi shot him a menacing glare, "... but you do not have that relaxed aura of someone who isn't afraid of the streets. Hence why the next thing I'm going to ask of you is very difficult for me to say." Ryuzaki held out his hand. "Hand over the gun." Michi began to protest, but Ryuzaki held up a finger to silence her. "As long as you have that gun on you, you will have a nagging fear in the back of your mind that something will go wrong. It will show in your face and mannerisms, thus compromising our mission." Here, he paused before adding, "I'm also asking you to trust that I can and will protect you, if the need arises." Michi searched his face, looking for any trace of deception. When she could not find any, she sighed and turned her back to Ryuzaki.

She reached under her skirt and unhooked the gun and its holster from her thigh. After making sure the safety was still on, Michi handed the gun back to Ryuzaki. What she hadn't expected was for him to grab her wrist and pull her closer towards him. She also didn't expect to feel his mouth on her right collarbone, nipping at the skin and drawing blood to the surface. As his tongue ran small circles over the mark, his nails clawed down the left side of her neck, leaving tingling, raised marks. When Michi was finally able to struggle away from his strong grip, the man had the indecency of not looking the least bit ruffled, while Michi panted in disbelief.

"What in God's name did you do that for?" Michi's slight southern accent slipped out as she yelled at Ryuzaki. She reached for her purse, never once taking her eyes off of him. She pulled out a small compact mirror that came with the purse and looked at her neck. 'Yep. That's going to leave a mark.' Michi put away the mirror and glanced at the offender, waiting for him to answer her question.

"I apologize, Michiko. But if we are going to have a believable escort/client relationship, I have to make it look like I had a minimal amount of fun with you. And if I had asked for your permission, you would not have struggled as much, making the marks and this relationship look much more forced." Michiko could understand his reasoning, but just moments before he had molested her neck, he had been asking her to trust him. It was a great way to start a fake relationship.

Michiko then noticed that the car had stopped. Ryuzaki tapped once on the dividing glass and got one tap back. He turned to face Michiko. "It looks like we have arrived. Are you ready?" Michiko nodded silently, smoothing her hair. Ryuzaki opened the door and stepped out, reaching his left hand in to help Michiko to her feet. As the car drove away, Michiko couldn't help but feel like she had nailed the final nail in her coffin.

As Michiko became more aware of her surroundings, she noticed they were in a warehouse district. By the sound of the airplane engines to the west, they were not too far from either Narita or Haneda airport. Since she had not paid much attention to her surroundings on the drive over, she could not accurately guess which airport they were closer to. However, due to the small amount of time they had spent in the car, she was able to scratch all of the other airports off of her list. Her train of thought was broken as Ryuzaki wrapped his arm around her waist. She looked up at him and saw that he had pulled himself back up to his full height. It just made her feel that much smaller knowing she couldn't easily look him in the eyes. Not that she wanted to after that stunt he pulled in the car.

As they walked towards an alley between two buildings, Ryuzaki leaned in to whisper into Michi's ear. "By the way, if you must call me by a name, Denueve is the only name you can use. Got that?" Michi nodded and recited the name in her head several times in order to memorize it. However, running through the name triggered a memory from the day before; '"What is the name of this contact?" "The boss called him Denueve. I highly doubt that is his real name. Or if it even is a man."' 

'Shitshitshitshitshit!' Michi thought, 'Ryuzaki is the contact for Volya! And I'm working with him! Unless this is some elaborate double cross, I could get a major slap on the wrist for this.' Michi bit her tongue and kept up with the pace Ryuzaki set. As they turned the corner, they saw three men hiding in the shadows. Michi instinctively moved closer to Ryuzaki as he tightened his grip on her. Ryuzaki leaned towards her ear again, "From here on out, translate everything I say into Russian. No matter how funny it may sound." Michi nodded as Ryuzaki stopped close to the three men and leaned against the wall. Michi followed suit, placing herself between the men so she could translate easier. Ryuzaki cleared his throat and began to speak.

"The clouds don't look so threatening tonight." Michi relayed the message in Russian. The man closest to her right lit a cigarette and Michi could briefly see the outline of a short man in his early sixties with a camel colored coat and a hat to match. If the scene wasn't ridiculous enough as it was, Michi could have sworn she was in a Dick Tracy film. The man with the cigarette blew out some smoke and replied.

"I've seen worse weather at home." Before Michi could translate it back into Japanese, Ryuzaki spoke again, "I hope your family is doing well."

'Huh. This is turning into a one-way translation. He must understand some basic Russian.' Michi shrugged as she spoke. The man in the coat turned to look at Ryuzaki. "The family is doing as well as to be expected."

Ryuzaki nodded, confirming Michi's basic Russian theory. "And the wife and kids?"

The man took another drag of his cigarette before continuing, "The kids are settling in here just fine. The wife is having some cosmetic work done back home, if you know what I mean." Ryuzaki and the man had a small chuckle at the comment before continuing.

"So how much are you paying for the kids tuition, nowadays?" Ryuzaki asked. At this point he pulled Michi closer to his side. One of the man's goons had shifted his weight, putting Ryuzaki on edge. The older man had either ignored Ryuzaki's move or just didn't care for the sudden possessiveness over the woman in the equation.

"I'm paying out the ass. A good 7,953,000 Yen." Ryuzaki whistled softly. According to Michi's calculations, that translated to almost 100,000 American dollars. Ryuzaki squeezed her waist softly before continuing.

"Your wife gave birth last summer, didn't she?"

"Yep. Twin girls. That brings our brood up to fifteen if you can believe it." Ryuzaki's nails dug into Michi's skin. That news had certainly struck a chord with him.

"I will have to send Asha my congratulations. When will she be out of the hospital?"

The man took a final drag on his cigarette and threw it on the ground. One of the goons ground it out under a heavy heel. "She should be done with her surgeries by the end of September. The doctors say she will be out of the hospital and on her way home by mid-October." Ryuzaki nodded at the news.

"A momma bear needs to be home with her cubs, am I right?" The other man guffawed loudly at Ryuzaki's choice in words.

"Oh, most certainly, my friend." The man turned to face Michi and Ryuzaki. "Well, I have to get back to my hotel. How about a hug, for old times sake?" Michi interpreted that to mean that they were about to get patted down for weapons or wires. As Ryuzaki was bear hugged by one of the goons, Michi stepped into the shadows and leaned in to hug the old man. He took his sweet time 'frisking' Michi. He spent an abnormal amount of time grabbing on her breasts, buttocks and even between her legs. Michi was suddenly very glad Ryuzaki had insisted on leaving the gun in the car. When the man finally stopped, Michi stepped back and bumped into Ryuzaki, who swiftly put his arm back around Michi's midsection. He was really tense, which could have had several meanings. But Michi brushed that from her mind as they turned to walk away. Before they had had a chance to walk all of ten steps, the old man called out to Michi.

"Young lady! I forgot to ask for your name." The man tilted his head to the side, waiting for an answer. Michi knew her acting skills and her knowledge of world events had to come into play here. 

She turned and answered sweetly, "My name is Karina Volkin, sir."

"Ah! A good Russian name! Where were you born, my child?"

"Kashin, sir. My father used to work for the steel mills in Kesova Gora. My mother was a seamstress." It was common in Russian culture to discuss one's parents after divulging one's place of birth, so Michi didn't think twice of it.

"Kesova Gora? Where that explosion happened in 1996?" The man's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Yes, sir. My father was in that very explosion. Since my mother was of Japanese descent, we came to live with my grandparents in Kagoshima."

"You use the past tense with your mother. What happened to her?"

"We still do not know. I came home from school when I was fifteen and found her in her bedroom. I shook her repeatedly, but she never moved. My grandmother came in and screamed at me that I had killed my mother. I left home on that day and have been on the streets ever since." Michi took this time to look down at the ground and sniffle for effect. Ryuzaki squeezed her side, either in encouragement or as a warning not to overact. The man shook his head from side to side.

"You poor thing. It is a good thing Mr. Denueve is taking care of you. I am assuming you two are exclusive?" Michi leaned into Ryuzaki's arms for effect.

"Yes, sir. He has been taking good care of me these past six months. I'm very glad we found each other." The man smiled at the news.

"I hope she is treating you well, my friend. She certainly looks a lot better than that last girl you came here with." The man chuckled and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Before he got too far, he clicked his fingers at one of his goons. "Oh, and one more thing. I would love for you two to come to my oldest son's birthday this weekend." At the mention of the party, one of the goons handed Ryuzaki two gold embossed envelopes. The man looked over his shoulder directly at Ryuzaki. "I will not take no for an answer." Without waiting for a reply, the man continued down the alley until him and his goons were out of sight.

Ryuzaki let go of Michiko as they quickly walked in the opposite direction towards their car. He tapped on the moon roof twice and the doors were unlocked. As Michiko slid into the backseat, she could tell Ryuzaki was on edge. He crouched into his normal position and nibbled at the edge of his thumb. After a few tense minutes, he pressed a button on the door that turned on the intercom. "Driver?"

"Yes, sir?" came the reply.

"Take me back to my apartment, please."

There was a pause before the driver replied, "And the young lady, sir?" Ryuzaki looked knowingly at Michiko before speaking.

"She is coming home with me."

-End Ch. 5-


	6. Unintentional Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

26 September, 2012 / 27 September, 2012

As Michi and Ryuzaki rode back toward Meguro station, both parties sat in silence, involved in their thoughts. For Michi, she was freaked out by Ryuzaki's order that she go with him to his apartment. On the bright side, the gun was safely reattached to her leg, should she need it. She didn't like the idea of possibly shooting her boss, but if she had to defend herself, she would do so with claws at the ready.

Ryuzaki sat trapped in his own whirlwind of thoughts. The conversation had not gone as he had planned. Even so, the information that had been gleaned was invaluable. He only hoped that the situation could be resolved swiftly and with minimal bloodshed. He also hoped his impeding actions would not put Michiko into harms way. If she ended up in the line of fire, he knew she could handle herself. He just did not want to be accountable for another death.

After ten minutes of riding along in silence, Ryuzaki tapped on the glass divider. As the car rolled to a stop, Michiko looked over in confusion. Surely they couldn't have arrived already. Ryuzaki opened the door and looked over his shoulder at her, "I just need to drop off this suit really quick. They charge by the hour, so I wanted to return it tonight." Before he closed the door, Michiko caught a glimpse of a high-end suit and dress shop. If her memory suited her, there was a shop just like this one near Ty and Ana's apartment. 'It must be a popular chain store.' Michiko thought, as she pulled out her phone. She thought she could surf the Internet while she waited for Ryuzaki to finish his transaction. 

Twenty minutes later, the car door opened and Ryuzaki slid back into the car. His long sleeved, white shirt and blue jeans were back on, which made him look a little more human in Michiko's eyes. "What was the hold up?" Michiko asked. Ryuzaki turned his head to her and shrugged.

"They had some problem locating my clothes. Plus, I had to make another purchase for the upcoming party. I apologize if I worried you." Ryuzaki knocked once on the divider and the car began to roll again. Michiko decided to rest her eyes, since she figured Ryuzaki would wake her up when they got to their final destination.

When she could not feel the vibrations of the car engine, Michi snapped awake. They had finally arrived. As Ryuzaki helped her out of the car, she took a look around her. The area looked eerily familiar, but Michi was too tired to care. All she wanted was to go over the details they had acquired tonight and then go back to her friend’s apartment so she could get some well deserved sleep. 

Ryuzaki's apartment was just as Michiko thought it would be. To the right of the entrance hallway, the living area was sparsely furnished with a fold out couch and a portable stove. Directly across from the entrance, the kitchen only had a refrigerator, sink, microwave and a small table with two mismatched chairs. Ryuzaki walked through the living area towards what Michi assumed to be the bedroom. Michi was left awkwardly standing in the hallway for a few moments until Ryuzaki called for her. When she parted the curtain divider, her jaw dropped at the sight.

The small room was covered wall to wall with television screens and computer monitors. In front of Michi was the main station; a desk with six computer monitors and one giant television that Ryuzaki used to flip through various surveillance footages. On the other side of the T.V., a blackout curtain had been hung. Judging by the length of the curtains, there had to be a sliding glass door on the other side. 'Wouldn't want the neighbors to complain about monitor glare, would we?' Michi thought, as she dropped into a chair next to Ryuzaki.

"So, would you care to translate all of that encoded speech for me?" Michiko gratefully accepted the Coke from Ryuzaki, which he had pulled from a small fridge under the desk. After taking a swig of his soda, Ryuzaki swiveled his chair to face Michiko. Even though he was crouched in his chair, he still hovered over Michiko by a couple inches. 'So much for perfect posture. I really should stop hanging around him.' Michiko thought as she sat up straighter.

"I will try to be as brief as possible, but please save any questions you might have until the end." Here, Michi nodded her consent. Ryuzaki nibbled on his thumbnail and stared off into the distance before continuing. "The fifteen children analogy really threw me for a loop. I can deduce that he is arranging to test the Death Note on either fifteen children or fifteen people in general. The fact that he mentioned they were in school here in Japan, tells me he has already selected his victims and may be holding them hostage as we speak. As to the 'mother' reference, I can surmise that one of two things is true; either there is another higher up that will be coming to Japan soon, or..." Ryuzaki licked his lips, "... they could have gotten their hands on their own Death Note."

Michi choked on her drink. 'Another Death Note? How many of these damn things exist in the world?' Ryuzaki raised his eyebrow at the look on Michiko's face.

"Don't look so shocked. It is the Russians after all." Ryuzaki turned towards the television and began flipping through surveillance footage. "Right now, I need to ask you to do any and all research you can on this Volya group and any satellite groups that could be attached to it. We need to figure out the larger enemy behind all of this. That way, we won't be surprised by a larger attack, if it comes." Here, he gestured behind himself towards the kitchen area. "Feel free to raid the refrigerator for ice cream. If you do, though, bring another bowl and spoon." Michiko rolled her eyes at the not so subtle hint and got out of her chair to go to the kitchen. Looking at her watch, she saw it was already 23:30 at night.

'I'm going to pay for this tomorrow.'

Later

Michiko sat back in her chair and rested another cold soda against her tired eyes. They had been scouring for information for the past five hours and they only had two manila folders worth of information to show for it. While they had been able to find information about Volya and some of its higher ups, sources about the lower ranking officials and satellite groups were very hard to come by. Plus, the heat of the televisions and computers was getting to Michi.

"Hey Ryuzaki? I need to step outside a minute. Is that okay?" When she didn't get an immediate answer, she added, "I'll leave my phone here." Ryuzaki turned his head slowly to look at her. She could have sworn that he had forgotten she was there; by the way he was looking at her. He then shrugged his consent and pointed towards the balcony behind the T.V. Michi walked towards the blackout curtain and pulled it back to reveal a sliding glass door. 'He will probably want to keep an eye on me.' Michi left the blackout curtain pulled back as she opened the door and stepped out into the cool night. She had not realized how much she had been sweating until the air hit her skin. The goose bumps were instantaneous and she rubbed her arms to keep from shivering. As she looked around at her surroundings, she couldn't help but notice something peculiar. She looked at the apartment directly across from her. 'That's odd. Those curtains look exactly like...' Michi's heart stopped when she realized what she was looking at.

'That's Ty and Ana's apartment!'

Michi turned around to look back at Ryuzaki, only to find him standing right behind her. Before she could open her mouth, he held up a folder to silence her.

"Before you think I'm stalking you, I can reassure you that this apartment choice was unintentional. If you look at my lease, " he put the folder in Michi's hand, "You will see I acquired this apartment almost a year ago. If I recall rightly, your friends didn't move into their apartment until six months ago." While his assumption about Ty and Ana moving into their apartment was correct, Michi just couldn't believe this was a 'fortunate coincidence'. However, after perusing the paperwork in the folder, Michi had to believe him. The paperwork looked legitimate. As she handed it back, she had to stifle a yawn with her other hand. Ryuzaki tilted his head to the left and pushed his hands into his pants pockets. "I also came out here to let you know you can head back to your friends apartment. We have all we can get for now. I will make a few calls in a little while. Also, don't worry about coming to work at your normal time. Just don't arrive past 12:00. Come straight to my office when you get there." Michi gratefully accepted the offer for her to get some sleep and walked back into the apartment to collect her belongings. Ryuzaki didn't come inside to see her off, so she left of her own accord.

When she let herself into the apartment, she leaned against the door as relief flooded through her. This whole day and evening had been insane. Still, it was the kind of work she had been hoping to get and she was glad for the opportunity. As she flopped onto her bed, her back hit something and that thing gave way under her. She turned on the light to look at what had happened. Michi had unknowingly landed on a cardboard box that had come for her. The crimson box was in a rectangular shape and shuffled softly when Michiko shook it. She cautiously opened it, in case the Russians had seen through her ruse a while ago and had wished to send their displeasure via bombs or such.

What she saw when she opened the box was no such threat. Inside lay a long, dark green dress. With a heart shaped bodice in velvet that flowed down to the floor, it looked like it would be a figure hugging number. The slit up the side also left nothing to the imagination. Under the left breast of the dress was a silver vine that twined across the chest and down the right hip to end in a small silver bouquet of roses just above the slit. No doubt, this was meant to be worn at the so-called birthday in a few days time.

'But who in the world...' Michiko stopped as she remembered the dress shop from earlier that night. 'No. He wouldn't...' She turned and looked out her sliding glass window to see Ryuzaki leaning against his balcony looking at her. As he waved and went back inside, Michiko gripped the dress tighter.

'Unintentional, my ass!'

End Ch. 6


	7. Operation Tango

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation. I also do not own 'Tango to Evora' which is owned by the lovely Loreena McKennitt. Nor do I own 'Veil of Elphame' which was written by Gary Stadler.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

27 September, 2012

Michiko's phone woke her up with a shrill ring. As she slowly assessed her surroundings, she groaned as the lack of sleep slammed her between the eyes. Ty or Ana had opened the curtains before they had left and the sunlight streamed through the window into Michi's eyes. She groped wildly for her phone in order to turn off what she thought was the alarm. Instead she hit the 'Answer' button that had popped up on the screen. She pulled the phone to her ear without checking who the caller was and buried her head under the pillow to block out the light. "Hello?"

"Just letting you know it's 11:30." The caller hung up before Michi could yell at them for rousing her from her comforting sleep. When she hung up, she noticed who the offender had been. 'Damn it Ryuzaki. I don't get paid enough for this shit. I need more sleep.' Michi sat up and assessed what she was going to wear for the day. She settled on all black attire that consisted of loosely flowing pants, a long sleeve, v-neck shirt and black tennis shoes. If Ryuzaki or anyone else were brave enough to comment about her choice of attire, they were going to get hell. Michi was not in the mood to defend her wardrobe choices. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and walked to the bathroom. At the very least, she had to wash her face of all the makeup from the night before. When she saw the black circles around her eyes and the red marks around her lips, she cursed herself for not having the wherewithal to have removed her makeup the night before.

Michi quickly cleaned off the offending makeup and put on a light dusting of face powder, rimmed her eyes with chocolate eyeliner and slapped on a little pink lip- gloss. Since she didn't have time to get a shower, she dabbed her favorite rose scented perfume onto the inside of her elbows and on her neck. She then grabbed her purse and threw in her wallet, keys, a book and her gun before running to catch her train. As she stumbled onto the Yamanote line, she wondered how she looked to her fellow train riders. As she glanced around, she noted with horror that she recognized some of the women from the night before. 'As if this day couldn't get any worse.' Michi settled into her seat and pulled the book out of her bag to distract herself and to hide her face from the other women. As she read, she ran through everything that had happened the night before. Most of it was fuzzy, but what she could remember was that Ryuzaki had been very protective of her, almost overly so. Not to mention that his attack on her neck had left a raised bruise that would take a couple days to heal. Michi wondered if she was jumping head first into a highly dangerous situation. Also, the fact that Ryuzaki had revealed himself to be the contact named Denueve really troubled Michi. 'I just hope he was borrowing that name because Andrei had brought it up.' Michi tried to reassure herself as she got off at her stop. She looked at her watch and cursed herself for not getting up earlier. She only had five minutes to get to Ryuzaki's office. That ruled out the option of getting a chai latte before work.

As Michi walked through the metal detector, the alarm sounded loudly. Michi swiftly berated herself for not taking the gun out of her bag before walking through. Before she could apologize to the security officer, he waved her on through. 'Ryuzaki must have warned them ahead of time.' Michi thought as she rushed to the elevator. As she stepped on, she looked up and saw the Chief looking her up and down with a puzzled look on his face. 'Damn it!' 

"Is it your day off today, Nakashima-san?" The Chief adjusted his glasses as he appraised Michiko's outfit.

"I was told that I should dress comfortably for surveillance work that needs to get done today." Michi prayed that the Chief wouldn't ask any more questions that needed more lies. When the Chief nodded and turned back to the folder he had been reading, Michi let out a quiet sigh of relief. The Chief got off at the fifth floor and turned back to Michiko.

"When you get the chance, I have a letter for you. The person was very insistent it got into your hands only. Just drop by my office before you leave today." Michiko nodded her consent as the doors closed. She got out her key card and swiped it through the reader. Upon arriving at the necessary floor, she walked swiftly towards the door. Before she could knock, Ryuzaki opened the door.

"Just in time. Come in." As he walked back to the desk, Michi looked around behind her for whatever surveillance camera had given away her arrival. When she did not see the offending camera, she turned and walked into the room. After closing the door behind her, she looked around for her chair. When she didn't see a chair for her, she looked over at Ryuzaki. He looked up from the folder her was reading and ushered her towards the desk. When she got there, she saw her papasan chair on the other side of the desk. 'Great. So I have to sit next to him again.' Michi sighed and walked behind the desk, placing her bag next to the chair. As she struggled to get comfortable in the chair, she saw a small smile on Ryuzaki's face. He was watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"I dare you to try and sit in this thing comfortably." Michi retorted. When she tried to pull her left leg into the chair in order to sit cross-legged, she pulled back too quickly and the chair began to fall backwards dangerously. She closed her eyes tightly and braced for impact with the floor. The chair jerked suddenly and Michi felt that she wasn't falling anymore. As she slowly opened her eyes, she looked up to see Ryuzaki's face only inches away from hers. He had somehow gotten out of his chair and grabbed hold of the sides of her chair before she could hit the floor. 'Damn. Talk about quick reflexes.' As she looked into his eyes, Michi noticed that he was not in any hurry to put her chair upright. Her sense of smell and hearing heightened as Ryuzaki's scent and the sound of his heartbeat assaulted her. Her nerves felt raw and electric. As they continued to stare at each other, Michi's heart began to race. 'I don't feel like I'm in danger. What the hell is going on?' Her brain screamed at her that she needed to breathe and she took in a few soft, shuddering breaths to shut up her internal monologue. Her eyes left Ryuzaki's gaze for a split second as her attention turned to his lips. She briefly wondered if he tasted like all of those sweets he constantly ate in her presence. When she realized what she was contemplating of doing, her brain snapped to attention and she silently screamed at herself to not have thoughts of that nature around (or about) her boss. After another tense moment, Michi cleared her throat, effectively breaking the spell. Ryuzaki blinked and then pulled her chair upright.

"It's all about balance." he remarked before sitting back in his chair. Michi rolled her eyes before turning to the folder Ryuzaki had been reading when she arrived. To her shock, she saw a picture of herself staring back at her. It was a picture from when she had worked with the Chicago Police. They had been required to pose for portrait photos, which would be used for media releases, should anything happen to them on the job. Why Ryuzaki had her personal file confused her at best and terrified her at worst. When he saw the panic on her face he closed the file and turned towards her. "Don't worry so much. I just needed to check on your track record with the police force. It seems you did quite a bit to help crack down on drug crime."

Michi licked her lips. "Yeah. I worked with the drug task force and youth counseling sector while I was in Chicago. But I think you know that already." She looked around at the computer monitors. She had to look at anything other than Ryuzaki. Her heart was still trying to calm down and, for some reason, looking at him just set her pulse racing again. 'Stop it, Michi! There is nothing there. For crying out loud, this is the same guy in the taxi that creeped you out when you arrived. And, for all you know, he could be helping the enemy. You're smarter than your emotions, so calm the fuck down!' Michi took a deep breath and looked back at Ryuzaki. He had his head tilted and was looking at her inquisitively. 

"Are you okay?" Michi nodded. "Good. Here, I think you might need this before we continue." He reached behind the monitor and pulled out a cold chai latte and a turkey sandwich. Before Michi could thank him, he put his hand up. "I figured since you slept in so late you wouldn't have gotten food beforehand. It won't be a very rigorous day today, but I need you to be on your toes." Ryuzaki looked at his cell phone on the desk and nodded. "You have half an hour to eat. We're going to be getting a call from one of my contacts in Russia at one. Provided he's in the office on time." Michi nodded and dug into her sandwich as Ryuzaki typed away on the computer. 

As they fell into a comfortable silence, Michi slipped into what she called an "attentive meditative state". She was still fully aware of her surroundings, but she allowed her body to relax and let her mind wander. Any thoughts that came in left just as quickly as she focused only on slowing her breathing and relaxing any tension in her body. After a couple minutes went by, Michi felt she was calm enough to continue the job at hand and opened her eyes. As she reached for her drink, she felt Ryuzaki's gaze on her. She then sat back with her drink and tilted her head, silently inviting him to speak.

"I wasn't aware you knew how to meditate." Ryuzaki stated, softly.

Michi nodded as she put her tea on the table. "I was going through a lot in my life at the time. My counselor saw how stressed I was and invited me to join a student meditation group that she led. Now, whenever I feel stressed, I just use those techniques without even thinking. It's helped me keep my cool in a lot of situations." Ryuzaki nodded. He was about to ask something else when the phone suddenly rang. Michi's body immediately tensed up and her brain went into translation mode. Ryuzaki nodded at her and pressed the speaker button on the phone. 

"Good morning, Terrence." Ryuzaki smiled into the speaker so that his voice sounded pleasant. "Rough night?" Michi promptly translated for him.

"Ugh... afternoon Mr. Coil. And, yeah, you could say that." The man on the other end of the phone sounded worse than Michi felt. Vodka was the likely culprit. The man began to speak again, "Did you get a new translator? I don't remember if the last one knew Russian."

"Yes, this is my new translator. Forgive me if I do not divulge her name. I want to make sure she stays safe from all of this." Michiko looked over at Ryuzaki as she translated. There's that protective nature again. Terrence laughed at Ryuzaki's response.

"Don't worry, Mr. Coil. She'll be safe. So, what information are you looking for?"

"I have to keep this really brief, so I'm just going to just give you the highlights and you give me what information you can."

"Yes, sir."  
"Does Obarin have a Death Note in his possession?" Michiko leaned closer to the phone. Her nerves were on fire waiting for the answer.

"We can't confirm or deny that yet. We think he either has one, or is in the process of trying to create one himself."

"Have there been any unexplained deaths or disappearances in the past two weeks?"

"Just your standard teenage runaways."

Ryuzaki frowned. That wasn't the answer he had been hoping for. "Well, that was all I had to check on. I know you're busy."

"Thank you, Mr. Coil. I hope that helped somewhat. Until next time." There was a click and then the dial tone. As Ryuzaki sat there in silent contemplation, Michi nervously sipped at her chai latte. She then quietly reached into her bag and pulled out her book. She had learned early on not to disturb Ryuzaki when he was deep in thought. As she read, she wondered why Ryuzaki had only asked two questions. It looked like the statement about the runaways had really disturbed him. Does that mean that there is more trouble in Japan than there is in Russia? Michi hoped that wasn't the case and read her book as a way to distract her mind.

After an hour and change had passed, Michi saw movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over. She saw Ryuzaki offering her a dark chocolate Kit-Kat and a weary smile.

"So. What do you know about dancing?"

***

Michiko was still trying to comprehend how she had ended up here. Only a few days ago, she had accepted a job offer as a respected translator for the National Police Agency. Now, she was looking at potentially dancing with her boss. How did she let this happen?

'I let him talk me into it.' Michi shook her head as she and Ryuzaki walked out of the elevator. The seventeenth floor of the building was comprised of various workout rooms that fellow police officers used to keep in shape. As she followed Ryuzaki down the hall, Michi took a moment to get a good look at her surroundings. Some rooms contained cardio equipment such as treadmills, elliptical machines and the like. Another room was set up with boxing bags and a make shift ring for sparring practice. There was even a good-sized racquetball court. Michi briefly marveled at the police department's ability to spring for such a top-notch workout facility. She then noticed that Ryuzaki had disappeared. She turned around and saw an open door to her left.

She poked her head in and saw Ryuzaki at the far end of the room, fiddling with a CD player. Between the two of them was an expanse of dark mahogany flooring. The walls were decorated with a beautiful cream wallpaper which was imprinted with silver bamboo that seemed to jump off the walls with a three dimensional effect. A waist high rail followed three walls, which told Michi that some of her colleagues must use ballet stretches to keep themselves limber. Four wall lamps cast the room in a comforting, warm light. Michi noted the dimmer switch to her left, which could brighten the room, if needed. What truly impressed her, though, was the mirror. The ceiling and right wall connected in what looked to the naked eye like a single pane of glass. Michiko knew better, but the effect still took her breath away. 

"Since I don't know how long it has been since you were last on a dance floor, you might wish to warm up first." Michi jumped as Ryuzaki spoke up from across the room. She had almost forgotten he was there. She nodded and rummaged through her bag for her iPod. As she walked across the floor, his words penetrated her brain and she looked up at him.

"How did you know I used to dance?" Ryuzaki shrugged as he stepped back from the CD player.

"A few of my former associates used to dance and I've noticed they walk with more purpose than the average person. You have a dancer's walk. I would say ballet, but I know that is generalizing it too much." Michi nodded.

"Yeah, that is over generalizing it." She flipped through her iPod looking for an appropriate song to warm up to. "I tried ballet, but I was never that graceful. So, I took up jazz when I was eight and picked up hip-hop in middle school. It's more to my tastes, anyways." Michi settled on a slow piano and vocal piece titled 'Veil of Elphame'. She wanted to take her time so that she could thoroughly stretch both her body and mind.

After a few minutes, she was warmed up and calmed down enough that she could handle whatever Ryuzaki had to throw at her. Hopefully. She looked over at him and saw that he was flipping through her music collection. He caught her glance and pointed at the iPod. "What would you recommend for a tango?"

"Probably 'Tango to Evora' by Loreena McKennitt. There are no words to worry about and the music itself is easy to dance to." Ryuzaki nodded and continued looking for the song. Michi, on the other hand, began to panic. 'What the hell? A tango? I thought it would be something with more space between us. damndamndamndamn!' Her curses were cut short as Ryuzaki walked up to her.

"Have you done any partner dancing before?" Ryuzaki tilted his head, observing the panic that Michi was trying so hard to squelch. If there was one thing he had learned in his twenty-nine years, it was that people's eyes never lied. And Michi's eyes were screaming discomfort at the mere mention of dancing with him. But why?

"I'm more experienced with the waltz. Though, I did take a basic tango class when I was in college to fulfill my health requirement." Michi chuckled at the memory. "We had more females than males in that class, so I volunteered to learn both the lead and the follow parts." 

"Well, I can only hope that class was taken not too long ago. I don't think we can both afford to trip over ourselves. It would give too much away." Ryuzaki stretched his back before offering his left hand to Michi. She looked at the hand and tensed up internally. She didn't want to fall back on base emotions again. Michi closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her self. 'It's just for work. Don't read more into it than there really is.' She then placed her right hand into Ryuzaki's hand and let him pull her closer to him. As her body adjusted to the shape of its new partner, Michi had to fight back the emotional maelstrom that welled up inside her. Unfortunately for her, their bodies fit perfectly together. It was almost as if the Universe was issuing a direct challenge to both of them: 'I dare you to try and resist each other now.'

Michi shook her head and glanced at Ryuzaki. He looked as if he was running through steps in his mind. As soon as she noticed it, she felt a light pressure on her lower back and in her right hand, which signaled her to start moving backwards. Both partners were rusty in the beginning and many signals got crossed which ended up with their bodies falling all over each other. After many false starts and several musical changes, they got used to each other's movements and the dance became much more fluid and seductive. During on particular cadena, Michi looked up at Ryuzaki's eyes. She was startled to notice that his eyes were not as black as she had previously believed. Rather, they were a beautiful dark grey. Yes, the sleep deprivation set off the bloodshot quality of the whites of the eyes. But the grey was unmistakable.

As the song ended, Ryuzaki let go of Michi's hand and allowed her to step back. "Well, I can say we will not have to worry once the party comes around. You may go on home, if you wish." He shuffled towards the door and threw a parting wave over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner. Michi walked to the CD player and removed her iPod before turning off the equipment. She then walked to the door and turned off the lights, taking her time as she walked to the elevator. She then remembered that the Chief had stated that he had a letter for her in his office. She looked at her watch and was startled to notice that it was already 16:25. Time had certainly flown by while she had been dancing with Ryuzaki.

Michi arrived at the fifth floor and turned left to walk towards the Chief's office. The door stood propped open and Michi rapped lightly upon it as she stuck her head in. A woman looked up from her desk and smiled at Michi.

"Chief Itou is out of the office at the moment. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes. I was told I had a letter waiting for me here. The name is Nakashima, Michiko."

"Ah yes. He told me you would be by to get it." The woman rustled through some papers and procured a small envelope. She then walked around the desk and held out the letter with both hands. Michi accepted the letter with both of her hands and bowed slightly to the woman. The woman returned the gesture, smiled, and then walked back to her place behind the desk. 

As Michi walked back to the elevator, she pulled open the flap of the plain white envelope. Inside was one sheet of paper, folded in half. Michi pulled the paper from it's housing, flipped it open and read the contents. She then stopped in her tracks and looked over the paper again and again. 'Is this some sick joke?' Nonetheless, Michi lengthened her stride and took the stairs instead of the elevator. She could not risk being late for what could be her most important meeting, to date.

The man you are working for is not telling you the whole story. If you wish to know more, meet me at Tama Cemetery before 17:30. I will not be waiting long.


	8. Beauty or Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation. I also do not own '
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)
> 
> Another Note (And SPOILERS if you have not finished the series): Mello is very much alive in this. I need his character in order to play off Near, so I'm going with the idea that Mello switched out the Death Note page that Takada tried to use to kill him. Yes, I know that happened a year later than this story takes place in, but I'm pretending the Kira Death Note arc was solved faster than it really was. Onward!

27 September, 2012

Michiko walked tentatively through the cemetery. She always felt like the dead were watching her every move whenever she walked in their domain. Hence, why she had never visited her grandparents graves back in America. She felt that replaying the memories they had given her was a better way to honor them than by visiting a gravesite.

The gravestones burned in the orange light of the sunset, giving them a Halloween eeriness that did nothing to alleviate Michi's frazzled nerves. She looked around nervously for the person that could have sent her that note. Various people wandered aimlessly between the gravestones, many of whom looked like they were searching for a reason to be mingling with the dead. 'Only death makes the living feel like they still have some control over their current situation.' Michi smiled as the thought entered her mind. Considering her past, that statement certainly made sense.

She then felt a prickling sensation on her neck. She turned to her left and saw a lone figure standing by a gravestone. There was a tree growing to the left of the grave, which cast its shadowy fingers over the silver cross and its visitor. As Michi walked towards the person, she could not help but feel a knot in her stomach. She only hoped that she didn't throw up the remains of her turkey sandwich over the deceased final resting place. Michi stopped next to the person and looked at the unmarked cross in front of her. She wondered why there was no name, or for that matter, why it was a silver cross as opposed to a simple stone cross. Hopefully the mystery person would clear up her apprehension. 'That is, if this is my contact and not some person trying to grieve for their loved one.' Michi's thought was interrupted as the person began to speak.

"What do you know about the man you are working for?" The man turned to face Michi. Behind the man's lack of sleep and obvious worry lines, Michi had to admit that he looked very young.

"There isn't much I can say. I have only been working with him for almost a week. But more importantly, who are you and what information do you have that connects us to this graveyard?" The man chuckled at Michi's deduction and tipped his head towards her in admiration.

"If the man is who I think he is, I am sure he is very proud of your reasoning ability." He then turned and looked back at the grave. "I have a lot of things to tell you. Much of it will be very unbelievable, but I trust you not to interrupt until I am finished with my tale. If you do that, most of the situation will become clear to you." Michi looked at the man out of the corner of her eye. Seeing no visible threat in the man's stance, she shrugged and turned her sight back on the cross. She heard a rustling next to her and felt something tap her right arm. She looked over and saw that the man was handing her two manila folders. She accepted the folders and the man adjusted his jacket around him before continuing.

"My name is Matsui Taro. I worked on the first known Death Note case here in Japan. Which eventually turned into a double Death Note case very quickly. As a result, over ninety percent of the original team either died or disappeared. This gravesite, for example," he motioned towards the cross with his left hand, "contains one of our greatest members. I daresay he was our greatest leader when it came to catching the owner of the Death Note. The owner of that particular Death Note went on a justified killing spree and the public began calling him Kira." Michiko started. She remembered hearing Ana talk about that case when they were in college. It was the very mention of that case that had set Michi on her path of International Law. "As part of that case," Matsui continued, "We lost one of the greatest detectives that the world has ever known. But recent events have surfaced that lead me to believe that he did not die on that day. I saw him die, yes, but whether he is truly dead can be left open for speculation." He then tapped on the envelopes that Michi clutched in her hands. "I will leave it up to you to decide whether or not you trust your boss. Illusions may be beautiful to start with, but the truth can turn ugly once you see beyond illusions pretty mask. You have to decide if you want to live with Truth or Beauty running your house." With that, Matsui turned up the collar of his jacket, saluted the grave, and walked away from Michi.

As she stood shivering in the cold twilight, she couldn't help but mull over what Matsui had implied. 'Is Ryuzaki lying to me? Well, of course he is. He's using all of these different aliases. So, of course he wouldn't tell me everything. But how much of that information is he keeping from me to keep me safe?' Michi then tucked the envelopes under her arms and turned towards the grave. 'World's greatest detective, huh? Wish I could have met the person.' She then turned in the opposite direction that Matsui had walked off in and began her long trek back to the train station. 

While she sat on the train, she decided that the car was empty enough for her to flip through the contents of the manila folders. The smaller one only held a few pieces of paper. What it contained was a detailed outline of all the main events that had occurred, concerning the Kira case eight years ago. The people involved and their ages had been included as a way of keeping track of events. According to this, the leader of the investigation (only identified by the letter L) was killed in November of 2007. Seeing as it was 2012 now, the man would have been twenty-nine now, had he survived. 'That is about the age I would guess Ryuzaki to be.' But that idea was absurd. There was no way in hell that Ryuzaki would be this L character.

The second envelope was much thicker and contained various pieces of information, which Michi could not see an immediate connection to. 'Wammy's House? N? Investigative reports? What is all of this stuff?' Michi stuffed the papers back in the envelope. She had plenty of time to go over this at a later time. Not that she wanted to go back to Ty and Ana's. She desperately wished that she had a place to call her own. And then it hit her. She did have a place to run to. Not her most ideal place, but it was a place she felt safe. She pulled out her phone and pressed one on the dial pad, waiting for someone to pick up on the other end.

Elsewhere

Once he had hung up the phone, he leaned forward in his chair and stared at the monitor. It wasn't that Lawliet didn't want Michi to come over. It was simply that he always felt cornered when she was in close proximity to him. Even knowing that she slept across the complex from him was enough to keep his frayed nerves awake. He couldn't pinpoint what it was about her, but that dance they had shared had proven to him that he was still very capable of potentially falling in love with his assistant.

'And therein lies the problem.' If Lawliet fell in love with Michi, his reasoning levels would drop at least thirty percent, his sitting position notwithstanding. She would always be on his mind, distracting him from tasks at hand. He squinted at the monitor as he tracked her progress on the train. One corner of the main screen had a picture from the train security camera while his phone tracked her phone's location with a GPS map. 'It isn't like my protective nature has been doing a good job of hiding.' Ever since Watari's death, Lawliet had been very cautious of letting anyone close to him. Watari had been a friend, mentor, and father figure to Lawliet. Granted, much of those roles had been put in place to groom Lawliet for his role as the ever-present L. However, L's people were doing a good job of covering his absence. He smiled at the thought. Poor Near. Lawliet had stayed away from Wammy's House for five years since his 'death' in 2007. Yes, Near knew the truth, but it hurt Lawliet that the boy hadn't had anyone to look up to for the past few years. Not that Mello was much of anyone to look up to. Still, both of the young men were remarkable in their own rights.

Lawliet stretched in his chair and got up. The GPS signal was getting louder, which meant Michi would be here soon. As he rubbed his feet together, he noticed how chilled they were. They were in the middle of September, so the cold snap wasn't too much of a surprise. It only meant the heralding of a potential typhoon. He decided to turn on the heat, only to remember that the landlord had left a message saying that they had to do some repairs on the heating vents in preparation of the coming rains. 'Well that is highly inconvenient.' Lawliet sighed and walked towards the living area. He then pushed his couch aside to reveal a gas fireplace. He had never seen a need for it and it tended to distract him, so he had had it covered with the couch. After shuffling to the kitchen for some matches, he had a decent fire that warmed the room quickly. He then pushed the couch so that it rested against the wall opposite of the fire. This way, if Michi got hungry in the middle of the night, her movements would not distract him from the other room. 'There. That arrangement is at least eighty five percent efficient.' 

Lawliet then walked to the kitchen and grabbed an instant ramen to heat up. He also brewed up a fresh batch of coffee and checked his sugar cube supply. It was going to be a very long night. And not simply because he still had a lot of work left on the Volya case. Lawliet hung his head as a brief wave of guilt washed over him. 'I could really use your advice right now, Watari. I'm so lost when it comes to the meaning of being human. You always pushed me outside my comfort zone when it came to social human interactions. I could really use that push right now.' He smiled as he briefly remembered how much Watari had to push Lawliet to simply ask a girl within Wammy's house out on a date. Nothing in Lawliet's life had ever terrified him more than dealing with emotions outside of logic and reason. It still terrified him to this day.

Meanwhile

Michiko stumbled from the train and walked the five blocks towards her friend's apartment complex. She briefly wondered if her idea to stay at Ryuzaki's was really a good idea. But she reminded herself of the real reason why she was going there. To get answers. Michi had learned at a very young age that deception was the name of the game when it came to law and espionage. However, this was a man whom she was trusting with her very life. If she could not fully trust him, then how realistic would their charade be to those around them? Besides, she was supposed to be a simpering prostitute that had fallen head over heels in love with her client. She couldn't fake those feeling if she tried. Hence, she wanted to get to know the real man behind the mask and find some little tidbit of information that she could build her infatuation upon. 'Infatuation? I don't see anything the least bit appealing in this man at all. Why am I so worried about what feelings that I will never have?' Michi shook her head clear as she reached the door. 'Business as usual, Michi. Nothing more.' She rapped lightly on the door, trying to calm her racing heart.

Ryuzaki opened the door and motioned for Michi to come inside. She quickly noticed that the room was comfortably warm and that there was a fire roaring on the far side of the living area to her right side. All of the lights were off, except for the glow of the fireplace and the synthetic lights of the computer and television monitors behind the room divider.

"I don't remember there being a fireplace in your apartment." Michi placed the folders on a side table and shrugged off her coat to hang it on a peg next to the door. Ryuzaki paused on his way to the kitchen and spoke over his shoulder.

"You wouldn't have noticed it. I never have a use for it, so I just hid it behind the couch. But seeing as the central heat is being repaired for a potential typhoon, I felt the fireplace would be necessary." Ryuzaki continued his walk towards the kitchen and stood by the stove. "I know you tend to prefer tea over coffee. All I have are green tea and peach tea, in case any visitors prefer something sweeter."

"The peach tea sounds great." Ryuzaki nodded and poured hot water into a black and white checkered mug. He then grabbed a tea canister off of the top of the refrigerator and shook in some loose tea. He then shuffled back towards Michi and handed her the cup. She took it and sniffed the tea. It had a very rich scent. Certainly, there was peach in there. But it seemed to be masking another flavor behind it. She blew on the contents and took a small sip. Her eyes widened in surprise as the flavors erupted in her mouth. She tilted her head and looked at Ryuzaki inquisitively. "Is that rose I taste in the background?"

Ryuzaki smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact. The tea was a gift from the Prime Minister of Turkey for solving a particularly difficult case. Mass murder type of thing." Michi returned the forced smile and walked towards the living area. Ryuzaki looked over at the folders that Michi had brought in. 'I didn't see her with any folders when she left. Then again, she had turned off her phone when she got off the train in Koganei. Who was she meeting there?' Ryuzaki picked up the folders and followed Michi into the other room. As Michi settled herself on the couch, he walked over and held out the folders towards Michi.

"Oh, thank you. I forgot about those." Michi accepted the folders and placed them on the armrest. Ryuzaki then walked to the other end of the couch and sat in a crouched position, staring into the fire. After a few moments of silence, Michi spoke. "If I ask you a question that could potentially get me killed, what is the probability of that occurring?" Ryuzaki tilted his head and stuck the end of his thumb in his mouth, seriously considering the ramifications of Michi's question.

"Well, if we factor in your usefulness which extend to your translation skills, your social graces, and similar mental capacity to my own, I would say, depending on the severity of your question, you could look at a thirty-five to one hundred percent chance of death." Ryuzaki shrugged and looked Michi in the eye. "But that has to take the seriousness and national security portion of your question into account, if so needed." 

Michi nodded and became intently fascinated with the inside of the mug she was holding. 'Well, now is as good a time as any.' She took in a deep breath and blurted out what she had been holding in since she had walked into his apartment. "Do you know anything about someone called L?"

Ryuzaki froze. He had not heard that name in a long time. Yes, he was still associated with that title, but most if not all of his former contacts assumed he had died in the original Kira case. It would be risky as all hell to open up that can of worms again. 'However, there could be some uses in bringing L back to life.' Ryuzaki closed his eyes. Now he knew why Michi had brought up the life or death question. Knowing who he really was would throw her into a maelstrom of trust issues. Not to mention, she would never be able to go back to the life she was so used to ever again. 'In the end, it will be her choice. If she wants to know the information, she should be willing to accept the consequences.' Ryuzaki turned his body and looked straight at Michi. "What I am about to tell you will come with serious repercussions. This information is beyond your level of security clearance and if you insist on opening that door, you are then saying that you are willing to walk away from the life you know. I am going to give you a chance to back out."

Michi took a deep breath. "I was thinking about that while I was on the train. My family knows that they will not be able to contact me, for their own protection. I have made sure that there will be plenty of money to take care of them should anything happen. I have never planned on having kids or being in a long-term relationship. My life is dedicated to the law." Here, she looked Ryuzaki in the eye. "I also vowed to be honest in my work with law enforcement. I will lie to find the truth. But, in the end, Truth runs my house. So, yes, I fully accept the consequences." Ryuzaki nodded. He then stood up and walked into the computer room. He came back with a nondescript black laptop. He set it down between himself and Michi and took up his original sitting position. He then flipped open the laptop and fired it up, pulling up a protected video chat service in the process. He looked over at Michi, giving her one final chance to change her mind. But the stubborn woman just quietly stared at him, almost daring him to go back on his end of the promise.

He quietly typed a series of codes into the chat system and then pressed ENTER. A computerized ringing noise rang through the apartment and he placed the computer between them again. Michi wondered if he was placing a video call to the very man she was asking about. 'Then again, why wouldn't he just tell me that he knows this person?' All of a sudden, the ringing stopped and an elaborate looking letter N appeared on the screen.

"Well, hello, L. It's been a long time."

'What the hell?!' Michi's mind froze. 'Please tell me this is another elaborate double cross. Or a bad dream. Or a very bad fall down the rabbit hole.' She turned and looked at Ryuzaki. 

No. She was now looking at L. His name had been whispered throughout the Chicago police department, but she had brushed it off as an Interpol agent with an inflated ego.

But this man was beyond Interpol. He was beyond the common mans law.

"Hello Near. Long time." L stuck the end of his thumb in his mouth as he spoke.

"It has been a long time. I must admit, I did buy into your death when Roger told Mello and I. But after Light Yagami's death, I was contacted a few months afterward by another L. I knew there were no other known successors beyond A and B, so I gave it a thirty percent chance that that was you calling me." L nodded at the deduction. "Nevertheless, forgive me if I ask you something that only the real L would have known."

"Proceed."

"What is your full name? Mind you, I only have access to it because I work in the records office now." L looked over at Michi, her wide eyes telling him that she was unwilling to believe what she was hearing.

"It's L Lawliet."

"Indeed. That just raised the probability to seventy-three percent. There are possible methods by which you could have accessed that name, so I will have to ask you to come to the safe house and meet with me so I can identify you visually. Forgive me if I do not trust technology to do it properly."

"It's understandable to be paranoid. It's been, what, five years since our last talk?"

"Approximately, yes. If you can get to this location by nine tomorrow, that will raise the probability to ninety percent. It isn't until I see you in person that I will fully believe you are who you claim to be. I have almost been tricked before."

"Of course. And forgive me if I bring my assistant along."

"Assistant? Are they listening in on this?"

"Yes, she is." L looked at Michi with a small smile.

"She, eh? I'll make sure Mello gets a dose of sedatives before he meets her. I know he can be... intimidating at times."

"Thank you, Near. I look forward to seeing you again."

"And I, you. Until we meet tomorrow." Near then closed out the connection and L closed the laptop. He stood up, hunched over, and shuffled to the fireplace. He turned down the fire and then walked into the computer room. After entering the room, he turned left and opened a small closet door and pulled out a blanket and pillow before shutting the door. He walked back into the living space and placed the blanket and pillow on the floor at Michi's feet. He remained crouched as he looked up at her.

Michi was stunned. Her boss. Her freaking BOSS, was the top detective in the world. When the whispers of L's death had come to Chicago, everyone shrugged it off as an internet hoax. Michi had never had time to wonder about this elusive man. And now she was working with him. As she watched him stand up and walk to the kitchen, she briefly contemplated running out of the apartment. 'No. I have to stay around. I have to see this through.' She blinked and took a shuddering breath. Suddenly, her black and white cup was lowered into her line of vision. She looked up at L and accepted the cup, not breaking eye contact. He scratched the back of his head and nodded towards the cup of tea.

"I did put a mild sedative in there. I know this whole day has been pretty heavy and I want you to be alert for tomorrow's meeting with Near. Everything will be explained then." Michi nodded and downed the tea in two gulps. She placed the cup on the ground and picked up the blanket and pillow. She settled in as L stood over her, making sure she was comfortable and that the sedatives would run their course. As Michi looked up at him with sleepy eyes, he felt his heart skip a beat. 'Probably all that sugar.' L then walked towards the computer room. He opened the curtain so that he could keep an eye on Michi through the reflective glass.

As his gaze flicked from the computer screen to the glass door, L briefly wondered if he could be falling for his assistant.

'No. That isn't possible. I'm not capable of those kinds of feelings.' L closed his eyes. 'I can't get attached. Not again.'


	9. Coming Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation. I also do not own the song 'Never Thought (That I Could Love)' by Dan Hill.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)
> 
> Another Note (And SPOILERS if you have not finished the series): Mello is very much alive in this. I need his character in order to play off Near, so I'm going with the idea that Mello switched out the Death Note page that Takada tried to use to kill him. Yes, I know that happened a year later than this story takes place in, but I'm pretending the Kira Death Note arc was solved faster than it really was. Onward!

28 September, 2012

Michi woke up and quickly assessed her situation. She was breathing, she could smell coffee brewing and she could hear someone talking on a telephone. As she became more aware of her faculties, she noticed that the voice was switching between French and Japanese. 'What the hell? Am I still dreaming?' She rolled onto her back and sat up. She looked around her and saw Ryuzaki leaning against the doorjamb leading to the kitchen. He was pinching two cell phones between his thumbs and forefingers and relaying information between two different people. 'Wait... it's not Ryuzaki anymore. It's L. Or Lawliet. Or whatever the hell he decides to change his name to today." Michi cradled her head in her hands as she tried to wrap her brain around the complicated situation.

Lawliet looked over his shoulder at Michi. She was clearly displaying feelings of distress. He quickly ended his two-way conversation and pocketed the phones. He then walked into the kitchen and filled two cups with fresh black coffee. He juggled the cups, a carton of milk, and a full canister of sugar as he walked back into the living room. Michi was in the same position he had last seen her in. He couldn't help but feel some guilt over her current emotional state. He placed the items on the floor and crouched so that Michi's profile was level with him. He cleared his throat to get her attention. She slowly turned to look at him. Her eyes were glazed over and it took her quite some time to focus on Lawliet. His heart twanged again because he knew that his actions were the direct cause of Michi's distrust.

"I figured some coffee would help wake you up. I don't know if you do milk or sugar, so I brought both." Michi nodded and silently picked up a cup of coffee. She then reached into the sugar canister and dropped several sugar cubes into the steaming cup. She took a sip, found it to her liking, and then let out a deep sigh. She swung her legs over the edge of the couch and hunched over her cup, seeking warmth.

"So what the hell do I call you now?" Michi looked Lawliet in the eye, trying to divine the truth from those grey depths. When she got nothing but a blank stare, she looked into her coffee cup. "Ryuzaki. Denueve. Mr. Coil. L. Lawliet. How many more names do I have to go through before I meet the real you?" She sipped her coffee and held it close to her chest. The cup and its contents were the only things in the room she believed in at that moment. She heard a shuffling and saw Lawliet's feet leave her line of vision. She continued to stare into her cup. 'This is exactly what happens when I begin to trust someone. They remind me that the whole of the human race is untrustworthy.' Michi felt something lightly touch her right arm and she looked up. Ryuzaki was holding open her coat for her.

"It's almost 8:15. It will take us at least thirty minutes to get to where we need to be." Michi sighed and put down her coffee cup. As she stood up and turned around, she moved her arms into the sleeves and shrugged on the coat. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and she turned to look up at whoever the hell this man was. "Michiko, I know you don't trust me right now. Despite my many aliases, I hope that you still believe that I can and will protect you to the fullest extent." He dropped his hands from her shoulders and pushed his hands into his jeans pockets. He then turned to walk towards the door, since he could not bear to look Michi in the eye. He opened the door and then spoke over his shoulder. "I've hurt too many people in my past. I hope that trend will end with you after this meeting." 

As he shuffled out the door, Michi looked to the ceiling and threw a silent prayer to whatever deity watched over her. 'I want to believe him. Just show me that I can finally believe in someone. Even if he has so many masks to hide behind, I just hope I will get to see him for who he really is.' She walked towards the door and added one final prayer. 'And I hope he will trust me as well.'

Later

The car ride was awkward and quiet. Michi stared out the window as the cityscape gave way to a forested area, peppered with various houses nestled between the trees. Lawliet sat next to her, crouched in his normal position as he stared forward in silence. Both occupants were trapped in their own thoughts, which similarly revolved around their conversation inside the apartment.

It was the unspoken things that were weighing the heaviest between them. Both Michi and Ryuzaki were concerned about what the future would hold for them. They both wondered about their newly developing feelings they were having for their partner and how it could affect the outcome of the case.

For Michi, she was terrified of falling in love with her boss. For one thing, that meant she had to trust the man, and that was not something that came easily to her. He certainly wasn't making it easier on his part by changing his name every time they met. However, his protective nature was winning her over day by day. Sure, she had been freaked out by the surveillance camera in her phone, but could she really blame him? If he truly was the greatest detective in the world, then he probably had some equally powerful enemies. Needless to say, being paranoid would certainly help keep him protected. Michi also replayed their shared dance in her head. No matter how she sliced it, her heart always fluttered when she remembered looking into his eyes. They had been so chilling, but inviting at the same time. 'Oh Michiko. What have you gotten yourself into?' She stared off into the trees, hoping her answer would come soon.

L's train of thought was following closely behind Michi's. He too was thinking of their dance and he marveled at how the human body could pick up on silent cues so easily. He had not danced since he was sixteen, when he was forced to pick it up for an important case. Yet, when Michi danced with him, he didn't have to remember the moves. They just came to him effortlessly. He had even forgotten that they were supposed to be practicing for the upcoming party and had genuinely enjoyed himself. But the second he had looked into those hazel eyes, something inside him had lurched uncomfortably. He couldn't pinpoint it at the time, but after mulling over it at his apartment, he couldn't deny that his protective nature could quickly turn possessive if they continued down that path. 'And I certainly know what my possessiveness has cost me before.' Now, more than ever, Lawliet mentally resolved himself to stay true to the laws of logic and reason. Feelings and emotions could only make things worse for him. 'God forbid I would ever have to say goodbye to her. It's best I just stamp out these feelings now. Not that she would ever go that route. She is more honorable than that.' As he turned to look over at Michi, the car rolled to a stop.

Lawliet quickly opened the door and stepped out. He turned back and reached his hand inside for Michi to take. As she balanced herself and stepped out into the cool air, she looked up at the large mansion in front of her. A couple of kids played in the front yard as the towering home cast its shadow over them. She looked over at the man next to her and saw that his gaze was both wistful and determined. He glanced over at her and nodded towards the path that led through the gate and up to the double doors. They walked past the gate and up the steps, whereby Lawliet rang the doorbell.

"Home sweet home." he said softly as he heard the patter of little feet run to the door. As the door opened, two little blond haired children poked their heads out to peer up at their strange houseguests. The girl to the right had her hair braided in two pigtails while the boy had a shaggy haircut that all but obscured his blue eyes. 'They must be siblings.' L chuckled as he realized that these two must be new additions to the 'family'. He crouched down to their level and looked the girl in the eyes. "Hello. Do you know where I would be able to find Near? I'm an old friend of his and he told me that this is where I could meet him."

The little boy pushed his sister back into the house and looked L square in the face, "That depends who's askin'." The boy had a clear British accent as he spoke and his sister silently peered out from behind her brother.

"Just tell him that L is here to see him." Both children gaped in both fear and wonder at the man. They quickly opened the door and gestured for both L and Michi to follow them up the stairs. Upon reaching a set of high double doors at the end of a long hallway, the children quietly pointed to the door and scampered off to tell their friends about the legendary man that they had just met. L took a deep breath and knocked twice on the door. Before he could pull his hand back, the door was thrown open and both L and Michi were roughly pulled inside.

Michi stumbled and hit the floor, while L followed suit next to her. As the door was slammed shut, Michi heard the distinctive click of a hammer being pulled back from a gun. 'Oh no! What the hell is going on?' Michi moved her head a fraction off of the floor, only to stare down the barrel of a gleaming, silver pistol. She followed the line of the pistol up to the arm, followed the arm to the shoulder, followed the shoulder to the throat, and then looked into the face of its wielder. The man had crazed blue eyes and half of his face looked burnt. The orange hair set off the wild look in his eyes as he sneered at Michi.

"Who the hell are you?" The man said as he tilted his head and pressed the cold gun against Michi's forehead. Before she had a chance to flinch, she heard a loud THUD. Suddenly, the orange haired man was on the floor, passed out, with the imprint of a foot underneath his chin. She looked next to her at L, who was now standing and it dawned on her that he had been to one to attack the crazed gunman. 'And those quick reflexes come in handy once again' Michi thought as she quickly stood behind L. He looked over at her and quickly assessed her for damage. When she nodded that she was all right, he tilted his head and looked around.

"Well. That went better than expected."

Michi looked around for the source of the voice. Aside from the passed out attacker, she couldn't immediately see another person that could have spoken. She then stood on her tiptoes and looked over L's shoulder. She was shocked to see what looked like a teenager piecing together a puzzle. He was sitting in front of a dark mahogany desk with his legs neatly tucked under him. The floor to ceiling windows let in the sunlight that danced over his white hair and matching white outfit.

'Wait... white hair? Is that natural?' Michi looked to L for an answer, but he was staring at the figure. It was obvious that he knew this individual because his eyes did not register any hint of confusion. Indeed, they almost held a fatherly light for the person in front of them.

"Hello, Near. I suppose a belated Happy Birthday is in order." L spoke softly as he began to walk towards the young man.

"I suppose this is true. Turning eighteen is no different from any other birthday. Though I must say, this is a very interesting turn of events." As they got closer, Michi noticed that the puzzle was completely white, with no variation between the pieces. And yet, this Near person had put them together into some semblance of a picture (or lack thereof).

'Oh shit. I think I'm the dumbest person in the room right now.' Michi then looked over her shoulder at the man that was still unconscious on the floor. 'I take that back: I'm the second dumbest person in this room.' Michi looked back and saw that L was crouched in front of Near. She took that as her cue to also take a seat and knelt in front of the young man, with her legs tucked beneath her. Once Near had placed the final puzzle piece in its place he looked up at Michi. His eyes mirrored those of L's. The darkness of them almost fooled Michi into thinking they were black until she saw the light ring of grey around the pupil.

They continued to stare at each other. After a few uncomfortable minutes passed, Near's gaze rested on L. There appeared to be an unspoken dialogue passing between them. This was why Michi hated hanging out with friends of friends. They always had a hidden way of speaking that she never understood. It made her feel very left out. After awhile, Near smiled at L.

"It's very nice to see you again. I was getting pretty tired of picking up the slack that Mello would leave in his wake."

"Yes. He can be pretty impulsive at times. Especially when it comes to meeting new people." Near shrugged at the comment.

"None of us are very well trained in the art of social skills." Here, Near looked at Michi. "As such, I will have to ask for your forgiveness, Nakashima-san. I'm not quite sure how to conduct myself in front of new people. As I'm sure you might have noticed." Michi watched as Near began to twirl a strand of white hair around his finger as he looked at her. He was certainly displaying a normal nervousness tic. Then again, it could have been similar to L's thumb nibbling habit. It could be a way to focus ones mental state. Either way, Michi was endeared by the habit and smiled at Near.

"Please, call me Michiko. If I'm going to be working with you as often as I am with L, we might as well be on first name basis." Near's eyes widened slightly and he tilted his head.

"Michiko, eh? Interesting name. If my memory serves right, that means 'beautiful wise child.'" Near then looked at L. "Though with your surname, I still have no idea where that came from." Michiko looked over at L.

"How do you spell it, exactly?" Once Lawliet had spelled out his name, Michiko closed her eyes and ran through her mental database. She then opened her eyes and glanced between the two men. "Are you particularly religious?"

"By no means. I believe religion is a human invention that is used to bring comfort to someone's life. You will find, statistically speaking, that people turn to religion more often in times of crisis than they turn to logic and reason." L shrugged. "I find no fault in someone wishing to find comfort, but I feel it is unreasonable to blame or pray away your faults when you can simply examine them more closely. Self-reflection is uncomfortable for most people, though. Hence, religion can be used to bring these people some solace." 

Michi smiled. "Unfortunately for you, your name has a very religious meaning. If you break up 'Lawliet' into 'Law' and 'Liet', you will find that both names are used in various religious texts. Since the first syllable, 'Law' is pronounced as 'Luo', I will have to take that into account. That particular pronunciation is found in both China and Kenya, but the meaning is the same. In China, it was the surname of a particular warrior family and can be linked to the Diamond Sutra in the Buddhist religion. In Kenya, it is the name of a particular spiritual practice that has no written records, but is passed down through generations. 'Liet' is less common, but it can be traced to some form of religious texts like the Quran, the Bhagavadgītā, or the Bible. In those contexts, and with those pronunciations in mind, both 'Law' and 'Liet' translate loosely to 'the Grace of God'." 

L and Near stared at Michi. The fact that she had been able to bring to light the meaning of Lawliet's name with no problem was astonishing to both men. Not to mention that she had done it so seamlessly and with almost no effort on her part.

'I think L might have finally met his match.' Near thought. He looked between L and Michi. They certainly were a good-looking couple to say the least. Both of them appeared to be fighting their feelings, however, and that could make things complicated for all involved. Near cleared his throat to get the conversation back on track.

"So, L. May I ask how I can help?" L stuck the end of his thumb in his mouth before proceeding.

"Yes. I figured Michiko might want to learn the whole truth about the previous Death Note cases. Since I can only fill in up to 2007, I thought you would be the right person to turn to in order to fill in any gaps." Near nodded as L began the sordid tale of Light Yagami and the insanity he had inflicted. When he got to his own 'death', Near was surprised to discover that the successor known as Beyond Birthday had not died in the prison as it had been recorded. Rather, he had taken L's place once Misa Amane had been identified as the second Kira. L had felt that his self preservation was more important than Birthday's, and had struck a deal to give Birthday a job replacing L in exchange for his freedom and 'death' in prison. Little did Birthday know that his freedom would be so short-lived. Sure, he had been able to fool everyone in the Task Force, but at the cost of his own life. 

Once L finished with his end of the story, Near filled in the last bits. Michiko was amazed at how intelligent both men were. To have such control over their mental faculties and play off of each other the way they did certainly took a lot of things into consideration. Looking at the age difference, she could also tell that there was a hint of brotherly affection between the two men. After the tale was finished, Michi rocked back on her heels and took a deep breath.

"Well, it certainly explains quite a few things. But there is one bit I don't understand." She pointed behind her. "Who the hell is that guy?"

"Oh. That's Mello." Near stated.

"The one that you were going to sedate?"

"He was sedated. I laced his morning chocolate bar with Luminal. You should meet him when he is his normal self." L quickly shook his head and Near retracted his statement, "Actually, that may not be a good idea. He doesn't get along with women terribly well. He still blames a woman for his scars. Not that she was the one that blew up the building, but that is neither here nor there." Near looked over his shoulder at the afternoon light streaming through the windows. The time had certainly flown by with the retelling of events. He didn't wish to keep L longer than necessary.

"Michiko, if you wouldn't mind leaving the room for a moment. I have something I must discuss with L in private." Michi nodded and stood up. As she walked towards the door, she made sure to step lightly over Mello's unconscious form. Once the door was firmly closed, Near looked at L. "You have read her whole file, I assume."

L nodded. "Yes. I am waiting for her to bring up the information on her own accord. She is not hiding anything that is detrimental to this case, but I must admit I'm surprised that she is not being as forward as I would have thought."

"Everyone has their skeletons, L. You know that better than anyone." Near stood and shuffled to stand behind the desk. As he looked out the window, he could see Michi pushing one of the blond twins on the swing. "I can only hope she brings it up soon."

"She will. I give it a ninety percent chance it will come up within a month." L walked over to stand by Near. As he watched the scene below, he could not help but smile. Michi was clearly laughing and smiling at the children as they fought for her attention. The children at Wammy's house had been in desperate need of a maternal figure for many years. L himself had once wished for the comforting hug of a motherly being when he was young. But now, he was hoping for something more. 'No. Stop it. You know that can't happen. Not with her, at any rate.' L sighed and turned to Near. "Thank you, Near. I will make sure I stay in better contact with you." Near nodded and continued to stare out the window. L took that as a cue to take his leave and walked towards the door.

Once the door was shut, Near closed his eyes. He desperately hoped that L would get up the courage to admit his feelings for Michiko. If he could do that, then it would be proof enough to Near that he himself was also capable of such feelings. Near certainly lived vicariously through L, but it was because he had lived in the man's shadow for so long. Because their mental capacities and social skills were on the same level, Near used L as the scientific control by which he could test his own abilities. In simpler terms, if L could do it, so could Near.

'I just hope it happens soon. For both their sakes.'

Meanwhile

Michiko slid into the back of the car and relaxed. She hadn't realized how tense she had been through the meeting. She leaned back and closed her eyes, waiting for L to get into the car. She slowed down her breath and began releasing tension from her shoulders, her chest, and on down her body until she felt like a puddle of mush.

She heard the door shut and opened her eyes. L sat in his crouched position as he leaned forward and tapped once on the diving glass. As the car began to move, he glanced over at Michiko.

"You look tired." Michiko chuckled at the man's obvious statement.

"Yes, it has been a tiring few days. I hope you don't think it rude if I sleep on the way back." L shook his head.

"Feel free to do whatever you need to. I know the party is tomorrow, so I don't want you under any more stress than you need to be." Michiko nodded and reached into her coat pocket. She pulled out her iPod and scrolled through it. Once she settled on a song she plugged in her headphones and leaned back. However, she couldn't seem to get into a comfortable position. After squirming in her seat for a few minutes, she opened her eyes and sighed.

"I just can't get comfortable. I haven't been much of a car sleeper." As Michi lamented her situation, she suddenly felt L's arm circle around her. He pulled her closer to him and gently pushed her head to rest on his shoulder. She gently smiled and pulled her legs up onto the seat to get more comfortable. Her heartbeat picked up as she breathed in L's familiar scent, but she quickly calmed down and her breathing slowed to a soft rhythm as she fell asleep.

L felt funny as Michi slept on his shoulder. It didn't feel strange to have her there. On the contrary, it felt as natural as breathing to have her so close to him. And that was what disturbed him. What if he got close to her, only to have her ripped away by another man, familial obligations, or worse, death? He sighed and leaned his head back.

'What am I going to do? Watari, I need some help. Guidance. Anything.' On instinct, L looked down at Michiko's iPod. The song she had chosen to fall asleep to was strangely appropriate for L's situation.

''Never Thought That I Could Love?' Well. If that doesn't spell things out, I don't know what does.' L tightened his grip on Michiko and leaned his head on hers. 'Are you as uncertain as I am? Or am I alone in this situation? Even worse, am I finally ready to open up again?' L closed his eyes.

If ever he had wished for the grace of whatever god was up there, now was certainly that time.

END Ch. 9


	10. A Night To Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation. I also do not own the song 'Perfect' by Alanis Morissette.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

29 September, 2012

The following day was a nightmare for Michiko. She had woken up in L's apartment, only to find that he had gone to the police station. There was a note on the refrigerator saying that she had until 16:00 to get all of her things from her friends' apartment over to his place. He also wrote that she needed to be dressed and ready to leave by 18:00 as the party would begin at 19:30.

'Great. He doesn't even have the common decency to ask me if I want to move in with him.' Michi sighed and rubbed her temples. She knew it was part of the plan, but it still felt strange to her that she had been working with this man for one day shy of a week and they were already moving in together. She shook off the last of her sleep and turned towards the door. 'I may as well get this over with.'

To Michi's delight, both Ty and Ana had gone out for the day. She quickly gathered her sparse belongings together from the closet and bathroom. She then wrote a brief note to them, thanking them for their hospitality and stating that she was moving into an apartment within their complex. She promised to call them often and to let them know when they could come over to visit.

With that awkwardness out of the way, Michi began her multiple trips back and forth to move her belongings to L's apartment. It wasn't that she had a lot of items, it was simply that they were all packed in their own separate bags. After five trips and a brief chai latte break, Michi had gotten all of her necessities into her new home. She decided that leaving them in the hall closet was her best bet until other arrangements were made. She didn't want to take up much space. She looked at her watch and saw that it was only 11:00.

'What the hell am I going to do for seven hours?!' Michi took a deep breath. 'I may as well just waste some time on the computer and do some small stuff to get ready for the party.'

After listening to few songs, painting her nails, and doing a sufficiently long yoga routine, Michi got a text from L around 16:00. This is your two hour warning. L.

'It's going to take me awhile to get used to seeing the letter L instead of R.' Michi shook her head and walked to the closet. She grabbed the box that contained the dress that L had purchased for her along with a pair of strappy, silver stilletos that she had picked up from the costume shop. She then rummaged through her bag for some hair accessories, jewelry, and bathing necessities. After gathering everything along with her makeup box, she walked through the computer room towards the bathroom.

After searching high and low for any cameras, Michi felt safe enough to take off her clothes and hop into the shower. She then washed her hair with a new gingerbread scented shampoo and conditioner and grabbed her loofah to lather up with her rose and honey body wash. As her hands moved over her body, her brain decided to play a horrible trick on her and brought the image of L to her mind. That he was there with her, holding her close to him. Her brain then set her nerves on fire at the thought of him nibbling on her ear, running his nails down her back, hands moving lower...

'GAH! Nononononono!!!' Michi reached behind her and turn the shower to the 'ice fucking cold' position. She stood there under the freezing water and let the thought slip from her mind and down the drain. 'I can't think like that. I have to stay focused on the mission at hand. I have no time for a relationship. Especially not with him. Hell, what would my mother think.' Michi laughed as she thought of how that particular phone conversation would go. ''Hello, mother. Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to tell you I'm considering sleeping with my boss, despite my Southern upbringing.'' Michi snorted in disbelief at herself. 'You're stronger than that Michiko. No need to give in to baser emotions. You have a job to do.'

She turned off the water and stepped from the shower into the cold air of the bath room. She toweled herself dry and threw on a robe, on the off chance that L would be there earlier than he claimed. She then plugged in her hair dryer and quickly dried her hair. She figured having her hair straight would seem a lot more dignified than in pin tight curls. After her hair was thoroughly dried and straightened, she pulled all of her hair into a tight side ponytail that fell behind her left shoulder. Once the hair band was secured and she was certain no stray hairs would fall out, Michi then took a few bobby pins and pinned in a cloth rose just behind her left ear. She had chosen a dark red rose in full bloom, because she felt that would be appropriate for any possible tango dancing that could ensue. She moved on to make up and dusted a light pink blush on her cheeks, followed with a light gold over her eyelids. After applying a bronze eyeliner, black mascara, and a pale bronze lipstick, Michi stepped back to look at the effect.

She looked like she was going on a date.

Michi sighed and turned towards the dress. 'I really hope he doesn't get the wrong idea.'

Meanwhile

L sat quietly in the back of the car. He had already showered at work and picked up his suit at the store. What he couldn't get out of his head was the thought of Michiko getting ready at his apartment.

'Yes, I'm aware I'm only human. Still, this isn't normal for me. I could blame this on latent hormones or 'puppy love', but I can't really see it as such. Psychologically speaking, I could be searching for a replacement for the mother I never knew. But I know of no sane person that would want to sleep with their mother.' L sighed and closed his eyes. 'Biologically and chemically speaking, these feelings all makes sense. But why now?' L's thoughts were cut short as the car rolled to a stop. He opened the door and walked up the stairs towards his apartment. By now, Michi should be dressed and ready to head out. He knocked politely on the front door before poking his head in.

He heard a soft sound coming from the computer room. As he walked towards the room, he realized he was hearing a song. He leaned back against the door to the bathroom and listened to the last refrains of the melody that Michiko was singing to herself.

Be a good girl  
You've gotta try a little harder  
That simply wasn't good enough  
To make us proud

I'll live through you  
I'll make you what I never was  
If you're the best, then maybe so am I  
Compared to him compared to her  
I'm doing this for your own damn good  
You'll make up for what I blew  
What's the problem, why are you crying

Be a good boy  
Push a little farther now  
That wasn't fast enough  
To make us happy  
We'll love you just the way you are  
If you're perfect

L was startled by the lyrics. It didn't sound like something Michiko would know. Then he remembered what Near had said at their meeting yesterday. 

"Everyone has their skeletons, L. You know that better than anyone." 

He sighed. What Near had said was true. He knew about skeletons better than anyone. And not just in the forensics sense. He then leaned forward and turned around. As he knocked lightly on the door, he heard a small gasp and a rustling sound before Michiko opened the door and poked her head out.

"Did I interrupt something?" L asked. Michi smirked at the question.

"I'm sure you heard me. So why don't you answer that question for yourself." L tilted his head and Michi sighed. "Since you're here, I hope you wouldn't mind helping me with something."

"I'll help in any way that I can." As soon as the words slipped out, he immediatly regretted it. 'In any way...'

"I'm not exactly double jointed. Would you mind zipping up the back of the dress for me?" Michi then looked at the floor, clearly wishing she could find a way out of the situation. L nodded and Michi stepped out from behind the door. When she turned around, L had to stop himself from staring and focus on the task at hand. As he focused on the zipper, his gaze slipped to her left shoulder blade. Something was slightly off. L stopped mid-zip and gently moved Michi's hair that covered the tattoo over her left shoulder blade.

Michi inhaled sharply at the feeling of L's cold fingers on her shoulder. 'Shit. I was hoping to keep that covered a little longer.' The silence between them asked more than any question could. She sighed and rolled her left shoulder. "It's a reminder of my family." She didn't need to look in the mirror to remind her of what was there: a small, elaborate tree with four stars twinkling above it, representing herself, her father, her mother, and her little sister, Rose. She had been inspired by the image of the White Tree of Gondor to do a similar design on her shoulder.

L finished zipping up Michi's dress and then rested his hands on her shoulders. She shivered as the chill from his hands ran through her body. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting how cold my hands can be." L stepped back so that Michi could turn around comfortably.

"It's okay. Whenever I encounter someone with cold hands, an old saying from my grandmother always passes through my mind." Michiko then walked over to her chair in front of the computer screens and picked up her calf length black coat. After the coat was securely on her, she turned to see L looking at her with an indeterminable expression on his face.

"So what was it your grandmother used to say to you?" Michi smiled softly before replying.

"Cold hands. Warm heart." Michi then turned and walked out of the room. L leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

'Why does she have such faith in me?' L stood there a few moments more before following Michiko to the front door.

The two detectives walked side by side out to the street. Neither of them were comfortable with their current situation. But with everything that was riding on this encounter, they had to have their game faces on. L opened the door for Michi and she slid in to sit in the far left seat. She squeezed herself as close to the window as possible so that she did not have to risk physical contact with L. After her shower, she was afraid of any residual tension that a simple touch could set off. ‘Aw shit. And we have to dance later.’ Michiko groaned softly. ‘I am so screwed.’ L settled in next to Michi, noting her groan of displeasure. He remembered his earlier musings about whether or not he could be capable of love again.

‘Even if I could, it’s clear those feelings would not be reciprocated.’ L leaned forward and knocked on the dividing window. Both detectives then settled in for what would be a very long and awkward car ride.

One Hour Later

Michiko stared in awe at the architecture of the Saitama Museum of Modern Art. The cube structure looked like it had been created out of multiple squares of various shapes and sizes. Currently, the building was lit from the inside with a soft golden light and she could hear music wafting from the open doors. As the driver made his way to the underground car park, Michi felt L’s hand on her shoulder. She turned to see him holding a tiny wire.

“I think it’s best if we keep in contact with these earphones. We will not be able to directly communicate with each other, but we can listen in on the other persons conversation and intervene if needed.” Michi nodded and tapped her left ear, signaling that that would be the best place to put her earpiece. Since her ponytail fell behind her left shoulder, the hair would cover the tiny wire with no problem. 

L hesitated before interpreting Michi’s signal to mean that she wanted him to put the wire on her. He slid closer to her, since the darkness of the car park prevented him from seeing her ear from any sort of distance. He handed her the earpiece so that she could determine how far in her ear it needed to be. He then looped the clear wire over the top of her left ear and slipped the tiny wireless receiver into her hair band, readjusting the rose so that the petals covered a wider range of her ponytail. 

Michi kept her shivers to herself as she felt L’s fingers dance lightly over the top of her ear, the edge of her neck, and lightly tangle themselves in her hair as he tried to adjust the wireless receiver. ‘I’m reading too much into this. I’m reading too much into this.’ Michi took a deep breath and pushed the images from her earlier shower into the back of her brain. When L withdrew his hands, Michi looked over at him. The two of them were so close, they could see their reflection in the other’s eyes. L cleared his throat and reached behind him to open the door. He then slipped out, never once breaking eye contact with Michiko. He then reached in for her hand, helping her out of the car.

The two of them walked up the stairs and out into the cool air. As they moved towards the building, L noticed that they were walking in perfect unison. ‘Hm. I may have to shake up the game sooner than I thought.’ If they seemed too accustomed to each other so soon, people could read between the lines and ask some awkward questions. There was one way around it, but it required Michiko’s complete cooperation. 

“Before we go inside,” L squeezed Michi’s elbow, pulling her to a stop behind a cherry blossom tree. “There is one more thing we need to do to complete this facade.” He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet covered box.

‘You have got to be fucking kidding me...’ Michiko quickly forgot how to breathe when she saw the small box. ‘Great. One more level to this insane charade.’ L slowly opened the box, revealing an emerald set off by fourteen small diamonds in a flower setting. This setting was held in place by a medium width gold band. Michiko suspected that L had had some help in getting this ring, but she was not going to question it.

“So. We’ve only known each other a little over a week and you’re asking me to be your fake fiance?”

“If it raises the believability of our fake relationship, than yes. You may call this a fake proposal.” Michi could tell that L was trying really hard to keep a straight face by the way he hid his eyes behind his bangs.

“L. Can I ask you something?” He shook his bangs out of his eyes and looked down at her. “Have you ever had inside jokes with people before?”

“None I can remember off the top of my head. I’ve been told I have a rather morbid sense of humor.” L tilted his head to look at Michiko. The moonlight drifted through the branches of the tree to fall on his eyes. If Michiko didn’t know any better, she could have sworn she saw a flicker of hope behind them.

‘Yeah, right. As if this guy could ever pull himself out of his ego long enough to love someone else.” Michi let out a breath that she hadn’t realised she had been holding and then offered her left hand to L. L pulled the ring out of the box and held Michiko’s hand steady as he slipped the ring onto her left ring finger.

‘Wait... why the hell is this a perfect fit?’ Before she could ask any questions, L put the box back in his breast pocket and grabbed Michi’s hand, pulling her out from the shelter of the tree’s shadow. He then placed his arm around her and pulled her close.

“It’s showtime, Karina.” Michiko nodded and slipped into her Russian whore persona.

‘Yes. It is showtime.’ As she ran her left thumb over the ring, she wondered who it was she had to convince.


	11. Danger on the Dance Floor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation. I also do not own the song 'Un Giorno Per Noi' by Josh Groban. I attribute the translation of the Josh Groban song to Sandy on the AllTheLyrics.com boards.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :) ALSO: Michiko and L are written in their alternate personas. When people go undercover, it is generally a complete transformation and I’m trying to show that.

29 September, 2012 / 30 September, 2012

Michi and L calmly strolled up to the front, personas firmly in place. When they got to the door, they looked at each other and nodded at the subtle transformation. They were no longer L and Michiko. Karina and Denueve crossed the threshold and walked up to the coat closet to drop off their jackets. They were told that the party was in two adjoining studios that were on the third floor. Karina groaned in displeasure, since she knew she would have to climb three flights of stairs in two inch stillettos. Denueve shook his head at his bride to be as they slowly made their way up to the third floor.

Karina was amused at the party’s layout. The two studios were across the hall from one another. The studio on the left held a small table of food and various pieces of artwork. The floor to celeing windows at the far end of the studio showcased the beautiful front of the building and the rows of trees that were slowly changing colors. Here, people milled around and chatted while looking at obscure pieces of work. Karina couldn’t really be bothered to show much interest in art. Her father had taught her at a young age that hard work was worth more than any painting that could be slapped together in couple minutes. She turned around to look into the other room.

The other studio was cleared out with exception to a small D.J. booth. Clearly, this was the area where people would be expected to dance soon. What really caught Karina’s breath was that this set of windows was framing the rising moon. It had been said that tonight would be a full moon, so dancing in front of it would certainly be beautiful. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and looked over at Denueve. He tilted his head towards the room with the food and Karina stayed close to his side as they walked in.

They stayed away from the alcoholic beverages and went for very mild sodas, ginger ale for Karina and C.C. Lemon for Denueve. But it was when the two of them turned around to look at the art near the doorway that they felt their hearts stop in unison. On a large piece of canvas, some unknown artist had decided to splatter read paint all over a white front. The red paint helped to accentuate a very large, black letter L in the style of Old English computer font that resided in the center of the canvas.

L’s symbol.

Karina took a long gulp of her ginger ale before setting it aside on the table. She looked over at Denueve, who looked as passive as ever. Almost too passive. It looked to Karina as if he was trying to make a point of pushing his reactions back. She sighed and moved towards the painting, feigning interest in the ‘modern art’. As she stood in front of it, she could not help but feel a chill go down her spine. And for good reason...

“Ah! Ms. Volkin! I was wondering when you would arrive.” Karina turned to look to her left. The old man from a few days ago was grinning at her. Beside him was a young man, most likely his son. The son had on round wire rim glasses, slicked back brown hair, and a generic black suit. It was his height that struck Karina on first glance. While his father was just below eye level of Karina’s current height of five feet seven inches, the son towered over Karina. She had to guess he was about six feet tall and change, if she had to guess. ‘Adopted? Maybe a recessive gene?’ Karina shook herself from her reverie and leaned forward to kiss the older gentleman on both cheeks.

“How are you, sir? I really don’t think Denueve ever gave me your name.” Karina turned up the simple Russian girl persona to full volume.

“Oh that’s right!” The man laughed. “Abram Obarin, my child. And this is my oldest son, Ruslan.” The son smiled and nodded towards Karina. Abram then leaned close enough to Karina that she could smell the combination of tobacco smoke and heavy cologne. “You know, my son is looking for a pretty Russian girl such as yourself to start a family with. Would you humor him with a date or two? Show him the sights?” Here, Abram made a show of looking Karina up and down, pausing his visual apprasel at the level of her breasts.

“I’m afraid she is already spoken for, Mr. Obarin.” Denueve spoke from behind Karina and wrapped his right arm around her waist. He then made a point of grabbing her left hand and bringing it up so that Abram could see the emerald ring on Karina’s finger.

“Oh my goodness! Pozdravleniye to you both!” Abram grabbed Denueve and kissed him on both cheeks and then did the same to Karina. “When did this happy incident occur?”

“Shortly after our last meeting. I realized that I couldn’t let her get away from me. Thankfully, she only fought my advances for a short while.” He then winked at Abram and the two men shared a laugh. Denueve then turned to the picture that Karina had been looking at. “What is the story behind this piece?”

“So far as I know, a former FBI agent turned to painting some of his important cases. I think this one is about someone he once worked with.” Abram looked at the small card. “The man’s name is Bill Waterson. He calls this piece ‘Bloody Anonymity.’ I guess the letter is associated with someone he may have worked with.” Denueve nodded solumnly. Abram then changed the subject. “So, Karina. Even though you are already spoken for, would you do the honor of being the first woman of the night to dance with my son?” The double entendre was not lost on Karina. Nevertheless, she took it in stride.

“I would be honored, Mr. Obarin.” Karina then linked her arm through Ruslan’s and allowed him to lead her towards the dance floor in the room across the hall. Their movement seemed to be a cue to the rest of the party guests as they all followed the couple into the dance hall. The party guests formed a large circle around the two dance partners as they set up for their impromtu dance. Ruslan leaned close to Karina’s ear and she felt a twinge of fear.

“Are you okay with a waltz? I am afraid that is as far as my repitoir reaches.” His smile did not reach his eyes as he held out his hand to her. She let out a breath and nodded as she allowed herself to be pulled into his arms. She quickly noticed that she felt a sharp twinge of guilt as he wrapped his arm around her waist. It almost felt like she was... cheating on someone?

‘What the hell did I tell you about personal feelings! Drop it, Michiko!’ But the guilt hit her double time when she glanced over at Denueve. His eyes were glazed over as he looked at her. She almost detected a hint of hostility towards Ruslan, but it could not be founded.

Right away, Karina noticed the sounds of the waltz playing over the loudspeaker. ‘Oh great. The Emperor Waltz. This is going to be a long seven minutes.’ Karina had lied when she had told Denueve that she had never danced ballet before. This was one song she knew all too well; as a waltz and as a ballet movement. After she had broken her ankle at the age of thirteen, she took over hip hop and jazz full time. But now was not the time for her to focus on a past that should not exist in this context.

The two strangers twirled around the floor, the woman clearly compensating for her other half’s clumsiness. But she made them both shine. It was clear to the guests that she was a gem and secretly wondered among themselves as to the relationship status between the guest of honor and the mystery woman. It was rumored that Ruslan was coming into a lot of money, so this woman would be well taken care of, if she was ‘the one’. However, when the song ended, she gracefully curtsied to her partner, accepted a kiss on the hand, and walked over to a tall, dark haired man by the door. 

Karina walked into Denueve’s arms and leaned in for a hug. The facades dropped for a moment as L whispered in her ear.

“Any information?”

“We never spoke, outside of him asking if I was okay with a waltz. I think he is awkward around women.” Michiko turned around in L’s arms so that her back leaned against his chest as he rested his head on her right shoulder so that they could communicate better.

“So you never danced ballet, huh?” Michiko could swear she heard a smirk in L’s words.

“Only for a few years. Twisted ankles changed my course.” Michi perked up when she heard a particular song come on. “You know, I have been meaning to ask about your translation skills. Would you mind translating this one for me?” When silence was the only response, she decided to clarify what she meant. “I just want to know if you are a word for word translator or if you allow for ‘artistic license’. This way, I will know how I can best help you with my translation work.” Michiko turned her head to look at L. When he saw that she was being sincere, he closed his eyes in order to drown out the guests voices and only focus on the song in question. Michi faced forward and leaned back so that she could feel L’s voice reverberate through his chest as he spoke.

A time for us, someday there'll be  
When chains are torn by courage born of a love that's free  
A time when dreams so long denied can flourish  
As we unveil the love we now must hide  
A time for us, at last to see  
A life worthwhile for you and me  
And with our love, through tears and thorns  
We will endure as we pass surely through every storm  
A time for us, someday there'll be a new world  
A world of shining hope for you and me  
For you and me  
And with our love, through tears and thorns  
We will endure as we pass surely through every storm  
A time for us, someday there'll be a new world  
A world of shining hope for you and me  
A world of shining hope for you and me

‘Sometimes I hate how the universe works.’ Michiko cursed to herself. L had decided to go for a creative license translation, which was far more accurate. ‘Un Giorno Per Noi’ was a hard song to translate, word for word. Yet, L had had no problem with it and had spun the words into pure poetry.

Michi felt L tense up and realized that they needed to put their game faces back on. Karina and Denueve then joked for a bit about the various styles that the guests wore, danced a few dances (thankfully, no tangos), and mingled among the various guests. When the buildings intercom chimed the twelve hours of midnight, the guests began milling out to the first floor to collect their jackets. As they got ready to leave, Denueve was pulled aside by Abram. Karina pulled on her jacket and pulled a compact mirror out of an inside pocket. As she checked her lipstick, she tilted the mirror to look over her shoulder at the two men. She saw Abram hand Denueve a white envelope and then kissed him on both cheeks before patting him on the shoulder. Denueve then pocketed the envelope in his jacket before turning around. Karina snapped the mirror shut and put it away just as she felt Denueve’s right hand slip into her left. As they walked out towards the sidewalk in front of the museum, they kept an eye on the various security details that wandered through the crowd.

Finally, their car pulled up. Denueve opened the door and the couple quickly slid into the backseat. After knocking once on the glass, both detectives let their alternate personas slip away. 

Michiko kicked off her heels and rolled her shoulders to work out the kinks in them. As she leaned back, she dared to glance over at L. He was sitting in his standard crouching pose, tie loosened, and top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned. He was nibbling on the end of his thumb, staring off into space. Michiko leaned back and closed her eyes, letting all of the stress drain from her body. She let her mind drift back to when she had leaned against L, listening to his warm voice, letting herself relax further into her meditation.

An hour later, the car rolled to a stop. Michiko reached over to open the door on her side, only to find that it would not open. She turned to look at L. He tilted his head in her direction as he pulled out the letter that had been handed to him earlier.

“I have to go to London.” Michi’s heart stopped at the proclamation. Her head began to spin and she leaned forward slightly to get her bearings. After a moment, L continued; “I’m going to be gone for almost a month. I’m leaving the apartment in your care while I am away. Don’t worry about any bills, they have all been paid in advance. Also, you do not need to go into the office. I alerted the chief to the status of our investigation. All you have to do is send him weekly update reports, of which I will provide information through email.” L paused and looked Michiko in the eyes. “Do you have any questions before I go?”

“You’re leaving now?” Michi started.

“Yes. I have to go train some new intake students at Wammy House. The Japan facility is only a satellite office. We have one satellite in every major country, but London is our headquarter house.” L tilted his head, inviting more questions. But Michiko had none.

“Well, I will try to not be useless on my end. I”ll hunt down what info I can and send it to you. Don’t worry about replying.” Michi forced a smile on her face, grabbed her shoes, and opened the now unlocked door. “One last thing, L,” L leaned over to hear Michi’s last words “Just send a courtesy text every once in awhile to let me know you are alive. Stay safe.” As the door closed, L sat back, shocked that someone had expressed concern for his well being. He sighed and knocked on the window, indicating that he needed to get to the nearest airport.

Michi watched the car drive off until the red lights could no longer be seen. She then turned around and walked up the stairs into the apartment. It felt so cold and empty already. Michi turned on the fireplace and dropped her coat on the couch. She then walked into the kitchen and brewed herself a cup of the peach tea that L had first made for her when she had come over. She dumped a handful of sugar cubes into her mug and pulled her hair out of her ponytail. As she stirred her tea, she walked over to the couch and sat down.

Michi closed her eyes and took a sip of her tea. The taste of peach and rose swirled in her mouth and brought back fresh, days old memories. Hours at the computer with L. Translating obscure Russian conversations with L. Visiting L’s fake grave. Every memory from the past few days were heavily flavored with L’s presence. And now that he was not here... 

She started as her phone vibrated, alerting her to a text. She pulled it out of her jacket and flipped it open. I’m safely at the airport. L. Michi was touched that he had taken a moment to send her that message. Because who knew when his next text would come around.

Michiko wiped the tears that were falling down her cheeks. ‘Stop it! You don’t miss him. I don’t miss him. I don’t miss him...’ Michiko kept up the mantra until she fell asleep, fully aware of how lonely she truly felt for the first time in days.


	12. Home Is Where the Heart Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima and Melody Chance, characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

30 September, 2012

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be starting our descent into London Heathrow Airport. At this time, we would like to request that you power down all electronic devices and remain in your seats with seat belts firmly fastened.”

L finished typing up his final notes and sent them over a low interference wireless connection to Michiko. He then closed his laptop and slid it into the computer case on the seat next to him. Whenever he travelled, he always made sure to buy two seats in order to discourage any unwanted conversations.  _ ‘So why do I keep looking over at that seat?’ _ L sighed and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. He was relying on his old 'Italian business associate' persona since he needed to keep a low profile. His Italian was fairly strong and his height and slicked back hair worked in his favor. What he couldn’t understand was why most of the women on the plane kept looking over at him.

_ ‘I guess what they say about Italian sex appeal must be true...’ _ An unbidden picture of Michiko flashed in his mind as the thought passed.  _ ‘Well, yes, I’m aware she is Italian in some regard. But that wasn’t what I meant.’ _ L looked out the window on his right. The sun was beginning to set over London as the plane spirelled its way to the runway. The oranges, reds, and gold of the sunset swirled together to mimick the colors that L had seen in Michi’s eyes just days before...

_ ‘Huh. I suppose I must have gotten used to her company.’ _ L looked at his watch as the landing gears touched down on the pavement.  _ ‘It’s only a supposition, however. I’m seventy percent certain that this is just a passing feeling of loss. I’ll get over it soon enough.’ _ L had worked with other people in the past and it had been relatively easy to forget them after a time.

Once the seatbelt sign had been deactivated, L picked up his laptop bag and walked to the front of the plane. He had been alerted by Near that there would be a driver at the airport to take him to Wammy’s House. When he saw the trademark orange hair, however, he immediately wished he could take a cab.  _ ‘Only Mello was available. Here’s hoping I survive the drive through London rush hour traffic.’ _

“Hey stranger. Your girlfriend not come with you?” Mello grinned as he pushed off the wall he had been leaning on.

“She had work to do at the station. Besides, would it really be in my best interest to be travelling with another person?” Mello shrugged in response and walked alongside L out to the parking lot. L had alerted the keepers at Wammy House that he would be forwarding his luggage ahead of him, so they didn’t have to worry about waiting at the luggage carousel. The two walked through the parking lot to a nondescript black mini cooper. Thankfully, the proprietors had had the foresight to tint the windows so L didn’t need to worry about being recognized through his disguise.

The ride to Wammy House was dead silent. L was not much of a talker and that sat fine with Mello. But Mello realized something as they pulled up the driveway to the place the two men called home.

“Hey, L. Why didn’t you disagree with me when I asked where your girlfriend was? Are you two actually an item?” Mello parked and pulled out a chocolate bar, looking over at L expectantly.

“No. You are well aware that I have no time or place for any romantic interests. Not to mention, I wouldn’t want to consider the level of danger that could befall her if we were ‘an item’, as you put it.”

“So you  have thought of it!” Mello grinned as he looked at L. “When’s the wedding?”

“Not considering it, M. End of discussion.” L opened the car door and stepped out into the Winchester weather. It was uncharacteristically chilly this year, approximately thirty nine degrees Fahrenheit, but with no snow on the ground as of yet. As L walked through the wrought iron gate, a figure appeared in the opening doorway. L smiled as he saw the caretaker, Roger Ruvie, standing in the doorway. Roger had been around L as often as Watari had been, and L thought kindly of the man. Yes, Roger was known to not be a fan of children, but once those children grew up, he could be considered a good mentor.

“I heard that Near received contact from you recently. I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.” Roger reached out and shook L’s hand. “We have your old room set up for you. Unless you feel you need other accommodations.”

“My old room is fine, Roger. Tell me what has been going on in my absence.” L walked side by side with the man to the conference room down the hall.

“I’m not sure what you know or don’t know, so forgive me if I give you information that you have already been disclosed.” L nodded and Roger continued. “About a year after Watari’s death, we began looking into other ways that we could assist the underprivileged youth. Naturally, I looked into the patterns of abandoned youth as provided by local hostels, other orphanages and such. An alarming pattern started emerging.” Here, Roger took out a ring of keys with which to unlock the conference room door. As he fiddled with the keys, he continued his speech. “Many of the youth either personally reported or it was discovered in their files that they had been abandoned due to possible psychic abilities that caused them to be abandoned or run away.” As L digested the information, Roger unlocked the door and let L inside.

“So why are we interested in this?” L crouched in the nearest chair and removed his glasses. He then ran his fingers through his hair so that he didn’t have to deal with the slicked back feeling anymore.

“For the past five years, we have been taking in youths with so called ‘psychic’ abilities and assessing them for emotional disturbances as well as testing their abilities. We have a new wing that houses them so that they are not disturbed by the other children. They take the same basic courses as the other children before they are branched off into their specialties.” 

L sighed.  _ ‘How times have changed...’ _ It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in the psychical, but he did believe that people put more emphasis in those abilities than good old fashioned intelligence.

“How can I help?” L knew where this was going, but he had to ask anyways.

“Since one of our criminology teachers is on leave, I wanted to know if you would be willing to fill in until they return at the end of the month.”

_ ‘Teaching... this could be a good change for me. Get my mind off of certain aspects of my life.’ _ L tilted his head in mock consideration before giving his answer. “So long as it doesn’t go over a month. I have to be back in Japan by October 30th.”

“Of course. We expect Ms. Chance to return before or on that date.”

“Melody is teaching here?” L remembered Melody Chance. She was one of the shy, older girls that had frequented the halls of Wammy House when he was here. Only a couple years older than him, he had felt that there wouldn’t be any harm in asking her out for a date when he was fourteen. She had been gracious enough to accept and they had a nice time wandering through Winchester proper. Both knew it wouldn’t go anywhere outside that one date, but it had bolstered young L’s self confidence.

“Ah, yes. I forgot you were already aquainted with Ms. Chance. She got her degree in child and young adult psychology at Columbia University. She’s been working for us for the past four years. She is a terrific psychoanalyst and the children do love it when she is here.” Roger’s unstated fact did not go past L.

“In other words, she is a good maternal figure.” Roger laughed at L’s conclusion. Nothing ever escaped L.

“That too, sir.” Roger adjusted his glasses and looked at his watch. “Seeing how late it is, sir, would you like dinner brought up to your room? I am certain you want to get some work done.”

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea.” L picked up his glasses from the table and walked out the door that Roger held open for him. L then followed Roger to his old room. Plain as it was, it still served its purpose. A window with a window seat was directly across from the door with a blackout curtain tied up to one side. A single rolling chair sat in the middle of the room. To the right was a desk of computers and wall of TV screens. To the left was a hidden door panel that led to the bathroom. L noticed that the room had been soundproofed recently.  _ ‘They must have done that shortly after I left.’ _

After reassuring Roger that everything was set up properly, L quietly closed the door and picked up the master remote on the desk. He hit one button to activate the TV’s and one to boot up the computers. He knew most of his night was going to be spent reprogramming the computers, so he took off his jacket and walked over to the window seat. He kicked off his shoes and pulled his spare jeans and white, long sleeve shirt out of the computer bag he had with him. After changing, he pulled down the blackout curtain and walked to the rolling chair. He sat in his normal crouching position and pulled out his laptop. He plugged that computer into a master cord so that that one laptop would automatically reprogram all of the computers that were plugged into that cord. Less work and less fuss that L had to deal with.

As he flipped through the surveillance videos, L looked down at his laptop bag. There was one small manilla folder tucked in one of the internal pockets. L sighed and reached down to pick it up. He knew what it was. He had just been hoping he wouldn’t need it. He placed the folder in front of him and debated on whether it was in his best interest to open it. He sighed and caved in.

He flipped open the folder to see bright, hazel eyes stare back at him. Michiko’s eyes. He had taken her police record folder along with him for the trip. He still couldn’t fathom what part of him had wanted to take it, but seeing her there was reassuring to him. He took the picture out and leaned it against one of the monitors in front of him. He knew that there was a button he could push to bring up his apartment on the TV’s, but he didn’t want to intrude on her privacy.

_ ‘What is happening to me? I’ve never cared about someone’s privacy before. Nor have I missed anyone to this extent before.’ _ L glanced down at Michiko’s picture.  _ ‘Is missing someone the first step? Or would caring for their safety come first?’ _ For the first time in a long time, L buried his face in his hands, trying desperately to keep unwanted thoughts and feelings at bay.

_ ‘I can’t do this again. I can’t risk falling apart. I don’t miss her... I don’t miss her...’ _


	13. Denial Is A River

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima and Melody Chance, characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

14 October, 2012

I was woken up from my sleep. It was dark. And hot. Too hot. Something was wrong. I could hear my mother screaming. My dad ran into my room. Smoke came pouring in behind him. He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and pulled me towards the window. He pulled at it, but it wouldn’t budge. All I could hear was my mother, screaming down the hall. My father yelling at the window latch. I couldn’t breathe.

I can’t breathe!

Michiko jolted awake. She was drenched in sweat, even though she was wearing a white tank top and black cotton shorts. She looked around for her source of discomfort and saw she had left the fire on during the night. ‘Damn. I must have been exhausted.’ The faint light of dawn was barely peeking through the window. Michi stood up from the couch and turned off the fire. She then walked into the kitchen and started brewing up some coffee for herself. She normally hated the taste of coffee, but she had a video conference scheduled with L today. She wanted to at least look like she was getting some sleep.

She sat at the kitchen table and rested her head in her hands. ‘That damned dream again.’ She hated remembering the worst day of her and her family’s life. The day they lost everything and moved to America. Her father had met her mother here and raised Michi in Okinawa. Things were great.

Until the fire. Until the day Michi lost her older brother.

No one knew what had happened to him. A body had never been recovered. Going through the burnt remains of their home, her parents could only find a scrap of his birth certificate that contained the first initial of his name. K. Her mother and father never spoke of him, so Michi only knew him as K. Sure, she knew she could tap a few things in her computer to find him or his death certificate. But frankly, she didn’t want to know. The mystery kept her alive. Reminded her why she did this work. All the anonymous faces that couldn’t or wouldn’t speak for themselves. When life calmed down, maybe she would go search for him. But it was highly unlikely.

The coffee pot beeped loudly that it was ready. Michi looked at her watch that was still on her wrist from the previous night. 6:43. Still three more hours until L finished his classes for the day. ‘Hard to think of him as a teacher.’ As Michi poured herself some coffee, she had an image of L with professorial glasses, tie, and suit pop into her mind. ‘Then again, the image is certainly easy on the mind.’ She chuckled at the idea as she sipped her coffee. She figured going for a bike ride would wake her up and help pass the time before her meeting. ‘After all, I don’t want him to think I was actually waiting for him.’

**Later**

Michiko stepped back inside the apartment at 8:53. She had about seven minutes for a fast shower before the video conference. Michi figured black sweatpants and a red turtleneck would be decent for this conversation. ‘Not that I care what he thinks’, she thought as she walked through the computer room and into the bathroom. It was simply that it was slightly chilly outside after the random rainstorm that had hit last night.

After her quick shower, Michiko got dressed, braided her hair, and walked out to the kitchen to get a fresh cup of coffee. She had feeling she would need it. They were going to run through all of the current evidence they had on Volya which meant a long day of research. The tiny file they had compiled hadn’t grown very much in the past week and a half that L had been in England.

‘I really hope I’m not outliving my usefulness.’ Michi thought as she sat down and turned on her computer. She brought up the chat module and glanced at her watch. As the time changed from 8:59 to 9:00, the module let out a shrill ring throughout the apartment. ‘No. Not on time at all.’ Michi thought to herself as she opened the video chat box. She had never been so happy to see those panda eyes in quite awhile. ‘To think, a little less than a month ago I thought he was creepy.’ She shook herself out of her thoughts enough to nod towards the screen as she sipped her coffee.

“Hello Michiko. Not sleeping well, I see.” If she wasn’t aware of his lack of emotions, Michi could have sworn the man was smirking.

“Ha ha. Very funny. I could state the obvious to you as well.” That time, the twitch of the lips was a little more pronounced. “How were classes today?”

“No fighting today, so I think we are progressing fine.” L adjusted something off-screen before dragging a steaming cup and small bag of sugar into view. ‘Why am I not surprised.’ Michiko had given up being shocked by the small things that the two of them were syncing up on. Sending an email at the exact same time. Calling each other at the same time. Their sugar addiction. L added several sugar cubes to his cup before turning back to the screen. “So what do we have today?”

“Hold on, hotshot. You still need to tell me how your conversation with Near and Doormat went.” Michiko had taken a liking to calling Mello ‘Doormat’ in reference to him being passed out on the floor throughout the majority of their first meeting. L took a sip of his coffee before replying.

“It went almost how we thought it would. I’m glad you talked me out of talking to them together. Mello’s outburst was a bit more than I had anticipated. Took a while to clean up all that broken glass. Near was as placid as always, but he did express some sentiments of resentment over my self-preservation during the Kira case.” L sighed. “This is why I hate going back over the past. It reminds me there are human beings involved in my actions. Why couldn’t you have just let me keep moving forward?”

“Because I knew they hadn’t let go. I have a sense for these kinds of things.” Michi tilted her head. “If you had kept going forward, you would have left them behind permanently. And if we need them for this case, all of us have to be on the same page.” L nodded imperceptibly.

“So. Back to the case at hand. Any possible leads?” L had left Michi in charge of looking through all the possible Russian connections that Volya had while he had taken on the more global position.

“Well...” Michi bit her lower lip. L raised an eyebrow at her motion. “I found something. But it might be nothing...”

“If something looks like nothing, it is generally something.” L replied. “What did you find?”

“I remembered you bringing up the code name ‘Asha’ in reference to Oborin’s wife. Do you know if he is married?”

“Neither the older Oborin or his son are married. Lots of concubines, but nothing permanent.” L tapped a few things into his computer and soon, Michi had the list of all of the girls tied to the Oborins.

“Okay. I’ll delve into those later. But here’s what I have on Asha.” Michi downed the last bit of her coffee before going into the insane backstory. “So, Asha is a small town located on the Sim River.” As she spoke, Michi sent newspaper clippings and pictures across the secured connection. “In 1989, a gas pipeline between Asha and Ufa exploded, taking out two passenger trains and killing six hundred and fifty people. A majority of those people were children coming back from or going to holiday camps located by the Black Sea. Now, following that line of thought...” here, Michi switched gears and sent another newspaper piece over. “Back in 2011, the Russian government pulled the plug on their holiday camps located in Bulgaria. Over the years, there had been unconfirmed reports of children suffering from gastrointestinal problems while in the holiday town of Obzor. A couple children even passed away due to the severity of their symptoms. After the Russians sent a group of investigators, they decided to shut down that particular holiday camp. Since then, tourism dropped significantly and the town is essentially dead.” Michi sat back, awaiting L’s assessment.

“Interesting.” L nibbled on the end of his thumb, eyes flitting through the evidence Michi had presented. Michi watched his face for any sign of disappointment, amusement; any sign that she was on or off track. When his eyes locked back on the camera, Michi has to suppress the electric shock that ran through her body. Even though he was thousands of miles away, he still had that effect on her. “So you came across this information entirely on your own?”

Michi was puzzled by his response. “Yes, I did. Why? Did I miss something?” After tapping a few keys, L sent his recent report across to Michi. Highlighted in orange was the phrase ‘At 85% probability, it appears that the location of the Volya organization is within a fifty mile parameter of the oceanside town of Obzor, Bulgaria.’ “Um... so this isn’t news to you?” Michi’s heart sank upon seeing the report. ‘That proves it. I’m not as useful as I led myself to believe.’

“All I was doing was tracking both Obarin’s travel patterns. Your evidence clinches it. While we cannot definitively say that Obzor is the central hub of activity, we can be safe in saying that the headquarters are in that vicinity.” L nodded towards the camera. “It seems my faith in your abilities wasn’t placed blindly. Let me know the statistics of the town and any surrounding areas within that fifty mile zone. Get me tourist information, import and export, as well as any ties to other countries by way of business trades or cooperations.”

Michi saluted the screen in response. “I’m on it. I’ll aim to get the report to you tonight. If I find anything that requires more in depth work, I’ll send the report tomorrow.”

L smiled. “I trust you will. Take care of yourself, Michiko.” L then closed off the video and secure connection. Alone again, Michi sat back in the chair and let out the breath she had been holding in through the whole conversation. It had been so nerve racking to see his face. Sure, talking to him on the phone was one thing. But when those eyes looked at her, she felt she couldn’t hide a damn thing. And she hated feeling exposed.

She turned back to her computer and brought up the INTERPOL secure search site. ‘I may as well just get this report done with. The sooner the better. Not that I want to see him again in the very near future...’

**Elsewhere**

L looked over at the picture of Michiko leaning against his computer. It had been reassuring to see her face again and speak to her again. However, his pulse had decided to go rampant the moment she had shown up on screen. ‘This is not good. I have got to put more distance between us.’ But did he really want to? ‘I may need to get another perspective on this.’ L thought to himself. Maybe all he needed was some advice from his successors.

‘How bad could it be?’ L thought to himself.


	14. Advice For An Elder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima and Melody Chance, characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

27 October, 2012  
The next couple weeks flew by in a combination of classes, meetings, and case communications. L now had a whole new respect for his former teachers. Granted, his style of teaching was much more relaxed, but he was still full of respect for his teachers at the end of each day.

The first day of classes, the kids had been confused by this sleep deprived individual who clearly didn’t know the meaning of the words ‘well pressed clothes’. However, L was able to win them over with his peculiar teaching technique. Every day, the kids would sit in a circle with L and talk over various aspects of semi-well known cases. L would hand out a case review with all of the telling information blacked out (final suspects, DNA, fiber analysis, etc). With only the crime, crime scene photos, and witness and familial testimony available to them, the children had to walk down every possible avenue available. This led to some very spirited debates and a couple black eyes, but the children agreed that this was a great class.

L was just glad that he had bribed Mello to keep his identity a secret from the kids. Hero worship was still something he had an issue with. He also didn’t want to explain to the kids how he had managed to escape his most certain demise. By letting them know that there had been a “twin” of him floating around in a mental asylum/prison, the kids would get even more paranoid about their reason for being at Wammy House. And he didn’t need mass hysteria on his hands.  
With only a few days left of his teaching tenure, L knew he would have to head back to Japan. To the Volya case. To Machiko.

That last one scared him senseless. The woman was single handedly responsible for all the awkwardness that L was trying to keep far away from. Emotions were not his forte. Never had been. But it was possible that he could get a better grip on himself by talking to his successors. L knew that Near would be as sensible as himself and Mello would be a jumping off point on emotional issues.

That is, if Mello could keep his comments on this side of decent. That was the problem with working with sociopaths; no matter how controlled they seemed there was always a hint of madness under their calm surface.

‘But who am I kidding. All three of us have sociopathic tendencies. Near is even more manipulative than Mello. He treats cases like they’re games and the other people in it as expendable pawns. And while I don’t directly have any hand in killing people, I am not above manipulating, kidnapping, or even torture to get answers.’ That last part made L sigh and hang his head. ‘I’m far less than Machiko deserves.’ L’s thoughts were disturbed by a loud pounding on his bedroom door. ‘Sounds like Mello.’ L thought as he got up to walk to the door. He opened it to see Mello with his fist raised to bang on the door once again and Near standing behind him.

“Oh... hi. Um...” Mello looked at his raised fist and awkwardly scratched his head with said hand. “Roger said you wanted to speak to us?”

“Yes. Come on in.” L walked back to his chair and let his successors worry about closing the door. “I apologize for the lack of seating, so I fear you two will have to share that window seat.” L’s fear steamed from the idea of the two young men having to ‘share’ anything. But his fear was allayed when Mello stretched out on the window seat and Near sat on the floor with Mello’s feet above him.

“So what is all this about?” Mello pulled out a bar of chocolate and unwrapped the foil. It looked to be dark chocolate with almonds this time.

“Well, first of all I wanted to see how you two were after our previous conversation.” L sat in his chair and pulled his knees close to his chest. In part, to keep blood close to his brain. But he was reflexively trying to build a barrier. Why, he didn’t know.

Mello spoke up first. “Actually, I wanted to apologize.” He looked down at the floor and mumbled his explanation as if it pained him to say the words. “Sure, I’m still really angry that you would fake your death out of fear. Why would you be afraid? It just shattered a lot of my preconceived notions of you. So I kinda lost it.” Mello looked down at Near, as if expecting him to fill in his side. Near sighed and looked up at L.

“As much as we disagree when we work, Mello and I are on the same page when it comes to this. You need to come up with a better explanation than just self preservation. I have a feeling you knew what was going to happen, but I have no evidence to prove anything. Mello and I will still stand by you, partly because we can’t fully trust anyone else. But just know that it will take awhile for this situation to fully reconcile itself.”

L looked at his two successors. They had both grown up so much in the years he had been absent. He felt a flicker of pride as he looked at the two young men he helped raise.

“As to why I called you both here...” L cleared his throat before moving on. “I have a situation on my hands and I need to get some outside input.” Once L spoke, Mello began choking on the piece of chocolate he had cracked off the bar.

“Whoa whoa whoa! The great and powerful L actually needs advice?! Since when?”

Near had sat there silently during the little display and took this time to voice his thoughts. “It’s about the girl, isn’t it?” Near pointed to the picture that L had resting against the monitor. He hadn’t moved it since he had placed it there at the beginning of his trip.

“Yes. I’m concerned that my mind is starting to move to a more primitive state because of her. I wanted to know if you two had any ideas of what I should do to alleviate this situation.” L rested his chin on his knees, waiting for what his successors would tell him. He hoped it was anything but...

“Why don’t you just sleep with her already?”

… that. Mello could really get to the point if he wanted to. And right now, he wanted to see L squirm in the worst possible way.

“That wouldn’t be practical. We’ve only known each other for a month, digitally. Five days, in person.”

“That’s long enough. Especially if she has the hots for you too. Ooh! Have you watched her in the shower yet?” Mello snapped off another piece of chocolate as he watched L closely.

“I’d rather not have that awkwardness on my conscience, thank you.” L responded, politely. ‘But I’m sure as hell thinking about it now.’

Near tilted his head, considering his words carefully. “Do you still have the basics file on her?”

“Yes.” L had the file on his laptop. He never went too far without it, seeing as it contained most, if not the whole story on his female counterpart.

“Okay. Well, we know she has a sweet tooth that is connected to her intelligence level.” Near twirled a piece of his hair around his finger, “What about a box of chocolates?”

“Or chocolate sauce?” Mello added with an evil grin.

‘Why did I think including Mello in this conversation would be productive?’ L struggled to block images of Michi licking chocolate sauce off of her fingers.

“That first one may be useful.” L said, trying to keep his voice steady. Near saw how uncomfortable L looked and decided to change tactics.

“Look, you know Miss Chance will be back in town on the 30th. Why don’t you talk to her? At least you will have patient to counselor confidentiality and you won’t have to worry about the two of us picking up any unnecessary information you wouldn’t want us to know.” Near tilted his head. “You helped raise us. This can’t be an easy conversation to bring up.”

L mentally berated himself for not thinking of it sooner. “Thank you, Near. I’ll email Melody today and see if she can fit me in. I leave in a few days, so I’ll take whatever availability she has.” L stood up and headed towards the door. Upon opening the door, he turned around to issue a challenge; “So, does anyone else want to raid the kitchen before dinner?” Mello laughed and got up from the window seat, running to beat L to the kitchen. Near shook his head with a small smile on his face. ‘Some things never change...’

**A Few Days Later**

30 October, 2012

October 30th. L would be leaving to fly back to Japan later that night. A 9:00 flight had been arranged and he would arrive in Tokyo by 17:00 on the 31st. He had needed to push his flight back in order to speak with Melody Chance. He didn’t like the idea of meeting with a psychoanalyst that specialized in children and young adult therapy. ‘Then again, has my mind really gone much beyond young adult status?’ L thought, ruefully.

Melody had suggested they meet at the medical wing’s cafeteria. It was quiet, remote, and very few people came by it. Just before the main cafeteria doors, there was a small side area with a soda machine, coffee machine, and basic snack machine. There were also two sets of tables with chairs. L figured meeting there would allow the noise of the machines to drown out the conversation from anyone who could be listening on.

He took a seat facing the door with his back against the wall. There was a window to his right looking out into the hallway. As he turned to look out the window, Melody came into view with two coffee cups. He wasn’t surprised to see that she didn’t carry a pad of paper or files with her. When she said she would keep this confidential, she meant it.

Melody walked in and took a seat across from L. After handing him one of the coffees, she reached in the breast pocket of her jacket and pulled out some sugar packets. “I already dumped almost half a canister of sugar in your coffee. I just grabbed these on the off chance it wasn’t enough.” She then leaned back in her chair and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I’ll skip the pleasantries. How can I be of assistance?”

L looked out the window, trying to pull his thoughts together. “I have a... compromising issue that I need advice on.” Melody nodded, inviting L to continue speaking. “I’ve taken on a partner.” When Melody raised an eyebrow, L knew he had to elaborate. “A partner in the investigative sense. The problem is that I’m starting to fall back on emotions I have not felt in years. I don’t know what to do about it.”

Melody nodded, closing her eyes in order to commit what L was saying to memory. “Can you elaborate on these feelings? Or do I need to run through them one by one?” L looked down at the table.

“This is where it gets awkward. I really couldn’t tell you what the feelings are. All I know is that it lies outside the realm of logic and the calm of reason. I could only compare it to the thrill one gets when they are in pursuit of something they have been hunting for a very long time.”

Melody kept a straight face as required by her profession. “Interesting. Do you see her as a potential conquest?”

“By no means. I just want to make sure she is safe. I don’t want her to get into any trouble by being associated with me. I seem to be an occupational hazard.” L picked up his coffee and took a sip. ‘She was right about the sugar level. Not bad.’

“May I make an observation?” Melody interjected. L tilted his head. “Do you really care about her safety or are you trying to dismiss the idea that you want to be the only one to keep her safe?”

L was surprised. He hadn’t thought about it that way. Did it really matter to him how or by whom Michiko was kept safe? “Could you present me with a scenario?”

“Sure.” Melody leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. “You know I have open access to all the case files, so this analogy should not come as a surprise to you. I want you to think back to Ruslan Obarin’s quote unquote ‘birthday party’. How did you feel when Michiko was dancing with Ruslan?” Melody was amused to see the flash of possessiveness in L’s eyes and his body tense up as the memory passed through his mind. ‘Well I’ll be damned. The boy can care for someone else.’

“Well...” L froze. He wasn’t sure how to put his words together. He sighed in frustration. “This is exactly my problem. I have kept emotions out of my vocabulary and actions for so long that I can’t even define my feelings or lack thereof.”

“You aren’t supposed to.” Melody said softly. “Emotions are there to fill in the blank spaces in dictionaries and thesauri the world over. They should not be named or given a definition. They are just there to be felt and experienced. We wonder why human language is so limited; it is because emotions are the filling for those empty spaces in our mouths and minds.”

L looked up at Melody. “So what is your final assessment of my situation, counselor?”

“Say something to the girl. Just be honest with her.” Melody smiled. “I mean, who else did you hire to do her psychiatric evaluation for this job? I wouldn’t have said that she would be a good match for you otherwise.”

L shook his head. “I’m just not sure how or when to say it.”

“An opportunity will present itself. I trust that it will happen. No need to rush it.” As the two stood up, Melody placed her hands on L’s shoulders. “I just need to make one thing perfectly clear; if you don’t deal with things that are emotional and traumatic, they resurface in other ways.” With that cryptic message delivered, Melody gave L a light hug which he returned. He then shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and headed out the door.

Melody sighed and sat back down, rubbing her forehead. “So. Did you get what you were after?”

The door to the main cafeteria opened up and Mello popped his head into the room. He held a small camera phone in his hand and had a huge grin on his face. “Hey. I’m just trying to move things along.”

“You really think making Michiko jealous is the way to go?” Melody deadpanned. She knew this had ‘horrible idea’ written all over it. But, knowing L, he would only make his feelings known if he felt them in an exaggerated fashion. To a point where he could no longer deny it.

“L needs a life outside of the world of crime.” Mello stated matter-of-factly. “If he gets pinned with a relationship that he knows doesn’t exist, he will go to hell and back to prove it is false. But if Michi makes him explain it right then and there, that trapped feeling could finally make him snap.”

“And you don’t think Michiko would be in danger if he snaps?”

“She can take care of herself.” Mello looked down at the picture he had taken of L and Melody hugging. He then typed in Michiko’s phone number that he had collected from her basics file. ‘I’m sorry L. But payback is necessary. You want self-preservation? Try saving yourself from this.’

Mello pressed SEND. He looked over at Melody as he leaned against the doorjamb. “It’s done.” Melody rolled her eyes and raised her coffee cup in a mock salute.

“Let the games begin.”


	15. Misunderstanding is a Cruel Mistress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

31 October, 2012

Michiko had been struggling to light the fireplace for the past hour. Around 15:00, the power in the building had gone out. That wouldn’t had been a problem, except that it had been dark and rainy outside for the whole day. As it was, the apartment was only lit with a dull grey light that was not fit to see by and Michiko was shaking too hard to light a match properly. In a fit of frustration, she went to the kitchen and lit a couple matches by turning on the stove. After she finally lit the fireplace, she went to the hall closet to grab her cowl neck white sweater. It was a thick sweater that her mother had bought for her on a family trip to Colorado one winter. With her dark hair and black jeans, it was a nice contrast. Not that she was thinking about that. She only wanted to keep the chill away.

She sat on the couch and wrapped a blanket around her waist. As she stared into the fire, she hoped that the dancing flames could hold the answers she sought. When she didn’t get what she was looking for, she sighed and looked at her cell phone that was perched on the left armrest of the couch. She didn’t want to acknowledge the picture that had been sent to her from some anonymous number. She was unstable enough as it was and L was due back in a little more than an hours time. Michiko closed her eyes and leaned her head back until it tapped the wall behind her.

‘How could I have been so stupid? Of course he would have a girlfriend and of course she would be in another country. The distance keeps the two of them safe.’ She laughed bitterly. ‘You knew you didn’t have an icicle’s chance in hell with the man. Don’t act so shocked, Michiko. Just time to keep doing what you have been doing. Emotional attachments not included.’ With that revelation, Michi stretched her arms over her head and got up. She figured picking up some snack supplies would be helpful, seeing as she made a substantial dent in them while L was away. ‘Don’t want to seem like an ungrateful roommate, now would we?’ Michi turned down the gas fireplace until only the gas logs were left glowing from the heat. As she grabbed her rain jacket and umbrella, she flipped the light switch a couple of times to make sure the lights were still out. They were. She sighed and headed out the door. ‘I’m sure L can figure it out. It is his apartment after all. No real place for me.’

**A Few Hours Later**

L sat silently in the back of the car. He had been sitting there for a few minutes, trying to build up the courage to go inside. He finally took in a deep breath and opened the door, letting himself out into the rain. After determining that walking a few feet to his apartment door wouldn’t cause him any risk of pneumonia, L shut the door and began walking to the stairs as the car pulled away. When he opened the door, he made sure to shut the door loudly enough to alert Michiko to his presence.

L first noticed how quiet the apartment was. There was no hum of computer monitors, the refrigerator was quiet; no sound at all. He then noticed the room was a mixture of chilling cold and soft warmth. ‘Oh. Michiko must have had the fireplace on.’ L flipped the switch next to him to confirm his suspicions on another matter. ‘No power. It’s a good thing I installed that surge protector and backup system when I moved in.’ L removed his black raincoat and hung it on one of the spare pegs by the door. He shuffled into the living area, turned up the gas on the fireplace, and struck a match from the top of the fireplace to set off a fresh fire.

L then wandered into the computer room to check how the computers were doing. He quickly spotted a pink Post-It note plastered to the border of one of the computers. He leaned in closer to read the contents of the tiny piece of paper. 16:24. Gone to the store. Be back soon. Took train. May take awhile. Michiko. L shook his head. ‘Should I be disturbed that she knows me well enough to leave notes on my computer and not on the fridge?’ L figured he may as well send her a text to let her know that he had arrived at the apartment safely. He checked the time on his cell phone and saw that Michiko had been gone for a little over an hour, seeing as it was 17:37.

‘I hope she didn’t go too far.’ When rain prevented food deliveries, it was commonplace for smaller grocery stores to close up. As such, Michiko might have had to travel quite a ways to get to the nearest major chain grocery store. L sent the text message and went behind the computers to check the surge protectors. When he heard a phone beep a couple seconds after sending the text, he was struck with a foreboding realization: Michiko hadn’t taken her cell phone with her. L listened for the next beep and located the phone. He walked into the living area and saw Michiko’s cell phone on the couch. ‘She must have been in a rush when she left.’ L picked up the phone and flipped it open.

The phone lit up and displayed a very incriminating picture of L and Melody in mid-hug. L was fully aware what the sender of this photo was trying to do. This was a jealousy tactic; plain and simple. L had dealt with these kinds of things in the field before. ‘The person sending the photo normally does this to get a rise out of the two parties they are trying to antagonize. And what is the advice I normally give the victims? Until proven guilty or innocent, just act like the picture never existed. If you know you are innocent, do not acknowledge the sender in any way, shape, or form.’ L sighed. It was not easy to take his own advice. Especially with this being such a novel situation to begin with. ‘Don’t bring it up until she does. That will be the rule here.’ L took note of the senders phone number, shut the phone and put it back exactly where he found it.

As he turned around to go back into the office, L heard the front door open. He decided to go to the kitchen to see if Michiko needed help. As he went around the corner, he saw that Michiko had set down her grocery bags and was putting food in the cabinets and fridge with her back to him. It was certainly comforting to see her again. The white sweater and black jeans were certainly a nice touch, but seeing her physical presence was more than enough for him. ‘I should probably let her know I’m here.’

Before L could say anything, Michi reached into the fridge and tossed something over her shoulder in his general direction. As he caught the flying Coke can, she stood and turned to face him. “Hey, stranger. How was the flight?”

‘Ah. She must have seen my jacket.’ L saluted her with the drink she had thrown at him. “Just the generic crying children to the front, side, and back of me.” Michi laughed at his response.

“Who did you piss off to deserve that, hm?” Michi walked towards L, intending to squeeze past him and go into the living area. When L moved slightly to the right, blocking her attempt to get by, she looked up, trying to read his lack of facial expressions. L looked down at the drink in his hand and then over at Michiko.

“I was able to tolerate it thanks to you.” After a brief moment of silence, L then turned and walked to the computer room, leaving Michiko to decipher his cryptic message.

‘What the fuck does he mean by that?’ Michi battled with her feelings of anger and surprise. She swiftly followed the man to the computer room to confront him. “How exactly did I help you tolerate such a horrible flight?”

L was under the desk, opening the small safe that he had instructed Michiko to place any mail that was delivered. When he saw a small invitation from Abram Oborin, he pulled it from the bundle of letters and stood up. “I went over the audio conversations that you had been able to collect from INTERPOL. Headphones can be quite handy at times.”

“Oh.” Michiko said. She wasn’t sure why she felt disappointment upon hearing his response. She snapped back to reality as L opened a small, gold embossed envelope. “Oborin, I take it?”

“Yes.” L glanced over the invitation and passed it over to Michiko. They had been invited to attend a performance of Aida at the New National Theatre as Abram’s esteemed guests. ‘Oh, God. Opera? That’s way too high class for me.’ Michi began panicking. She then felt L’s hands on her shoulders and looked up at him.

“Don’t worry so much. Just stick to the original plan. I should let you know, however, that I have been getting closer to the inner circles of Volya through this investigation. Hopefully, I will get an invitation to one of their meetings if we go to this.”

“So, basically, I shouldn’t be surprised if you ignore me most of the night?” L nodded. He then moved his hands from her shoulders and pushed them into his pockets. ‘He’s hiding something...’ Michi thought.

‘We already used the green dress at the birthday party, so I’ll have you take it back to the shop I got it from. Since I’m unsure of what opera clothing entails, I’ll put you in charge of getting the necessary outfits. They have my measurements on file, so just go with whatever you feel would match your dress.” L looked over at the computers. “I’m going to work on the computers and see if I can get these back online. Might require me going out to find a fuse or two.” L then reached in his back pocket and pulled out a plain red business card. “This has a hidden image that the shop owner knows to look for. That’s how they will know you are with me and make sure to add the clothes to my store credit.” As L handed the card to Michiko, his thumb lingered on her hand a moment longer than necessary.

Michi jerked back and cleared her throat. “Um... I can’t really remember how to get to that particular location.”

“I’ll have Piero take you there.” Michi assumed L was referring to the driver he had employed. L tapped a few things into his phone and turned back to Michiko. “He will be here shortly.” Michi nodded and headed out of the apartment. When L heard the door close, he shut his eyes tightly. ‘I can’t do it. I can’t tell her. If things change...’ L shook his head sharply. He had to focus on the current task: getting the computers back online. If he couldn’t monitor the situation at hand, he could go stir crazy. ‘Who am I kidding? It’s not about monitoring the situation. If I can’t distract myself from feeling these... feelings... then I’m just going to break down like before.’ And L couldn’t risk any sign of weakness.

**Elsewhere**

Michiko sat back in her seat, watching the rain drenched shops rush past. She was wondering what to do with this situation. L’s body language certainly said he missed her, but his words and actions were distancing as usual. ‘I just don’t know what to do. I wish I could get some outside advice.’

As if answering her thoughts, the car’s intercom system beeped. She pressed the button. “Yes?”

“Just checking on you, Ms. Nakashima. We should be arriving at the shop in five minutes time.”

“Thank you, Piero.” Michi considered something and then pressed the button again. “Um... Piero?”

“Yes. Ma’am?”

“Are you allowed to talk about L? Within reason, of course.” Michiko bit her lip, hoping for an affirmative answer.

“Of course. I can only tell you what I know, but I’ll answer whatever I can.”

“Thank you. How long have you been working for L? For that matter, how did you start working for him?”

Pietro chuckled. “I met Mr. Lawliet in Italy. He was there for a case review and I was hired by his associated to be his personal driver. Once my contract was up in Italy, he offered me a job to continue my services for him in Japan.”  
“I see. And he is a fair employer?”

“He’s predictable. Which is nice for me. Not terribly talkative, but I think you are starting to pull him out of his shell.” Michiko blushed at the statement.

“Well, speaking part Italian to full blooded Italian,” Michiko started to say, to Piero’s laughter, “what do you think I should wear to an opera? I’m quite clueless.”

“Do you want my opinion on the dress or do you want my opinion of what Mr. Lawliet would like?” Michiko didn’t reply, so Piero continued “I’m not too knowledgeable about this kind of thing, but ask for Loraine in the dress shop. She will take very good care of you and make sure your natural beauty outshines whatever dress you pick.”

Michiko smiled. “Thank you, Piero. It’s nice to know I’m in good hands.”

“Only the best for you, Ma’am. Let me know if you need any other assistance.” The car pulled to a stop. “I will go around the block a few times. I’ll pick you up when you come out.”

Michiko pushed open the car door, remembering to grab her rental dress as she stepped out. ‘Time to get gussied up, Michiko. Let’s find something to make them talk.’


	16. Happy Birthday?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29/30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

31 October, 2012

L was still programming the computers when Michiko came back from the dress shop. He didn’t hear her moving around after the front door closed, so he turned around to check on her. Only to see her standing in the doorway.  
With a cupcake in a small, plastic container.

“Um... what is that for?” L asked, apprehensively.

“Don’t kill Piero... but he informed me that today was your birthday. I asked him to stop by a cake shop on the way back.” Michi placed the cupcake on the desk. She then sat cross legged on the floor to the left of the computer station, leaning against the wall behind her. She watched L carefully as he stared at the cupcake.

L was shocked. It had been a little over five years since someone last acknowledged his birthday. Watari had been one of the few people to consistently remember L’s birthday on a year to year basis. And now, here was this woman he still felt he barely knew. Was she looking for something? Or was this really just a kind gesture? L moved his gaze back to Michiko. Her hair framed her face as she leaned forward. She looked nervous, like she was waiting for him to say something.  
L picked up the cupcake and crouched on the floor, facing Michiko. He looked over at her and nodded. “Thank you. I was trying to forget that I’m getting older, but it’s nice to have people acknowledge it from time to time.” L examined the cupcake closer. The frosting was a swirl of black and orange, topped with tiny pumpkin shaped sprinkles. The small chocolate cake itself was wrapped in a highly unusual wrapper.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that part.” Michiko said. She had seen the confusion pass over L’s face, so she knew what he was looking at. “The store was just closing so they grabbed whatever wrapper they could find.” The cupcake’s wrapper was dark blue with a pattern of the words ‘Get Well Soon’ written in swirling, white text.

L smiled. “Just my type of humor.”, he said softly. L picked up the container with the cupcake and stood up. He then offered a hand to Michiko and she grabbed on tightly to let herself be pulled off the floor. As the two detectives stood facing each other with only a pinky fingers length separating them, L took in a deep breath, preparing to say something to Michi.

Michi turned to the side and started walking to the kitchen. “I’m sure it makes more sense to eat that thing in the kitchen instead of near the computers.” she said over her shoulder. L shook his head. ‘She must still be worried that there is something going on between Melody and myself.’ L followed Michi to the kitchen where he saw her rummaging through a small plastic bag. She came up with a pre-wrapped chocolate brownie and sat in one of the chairs by the table. L followed suit and soon the two of them were munching happily on their designated treats.

After Michiko finished her brownie, she licked at the crumbs that clung to her lip. “So... is there anything else you want for your birthday?”

L froze mid-bite. ‘Well THAT’S not a loaded question...’ L considered it for a moment. There actually were a few things that were not clearly specified in Michiko’s basics file that he could try to get from her. “Could I make a small request?”

“Sure. Within reason.” Michiko pulled her right knee to her chest and rested her head on her knee, watching L closely.

“Would you be willing to answer a few questions about yourself?”

“Only if there is a quid pro quo attached to it.” Michiko said.

“Fair enough. Three questions each. And there is no backing out in answering it. We can use evasive answers if necessary, but they must still be truthful. Deal?” L tilted his head.

“Deal.” Michiko nodded her consent, knowing full well that there was going to be awkwardness ahead.

“Ladies first.” L said, picking up his cupcake.

“Okay. How old are you? I know the month and day, but for all I know, you could be forty or something.”

“Nowhere near as old as that.” L said, with a small smile. “As of today, I’m thirty years old.”

“Huh. Not that much older than me. But I think you already knew that.”

“True. But there are a few things I don’t know.” L played with the cupcake wrapper, carefully considering his words. “I know you were raised in Salina, Kansas. However, I was not able to find a certificate of birth from the area. Since your father was a military man, I can only assume you and your family went into hiding and Salina, Kansas was the only safe place. So where were you actually born?”

“You only have to drive a few miles from here to visit my birthplace.” Michiko answered. “I was born in Okinawa.” She did not elaborate her answer because she was only answering the question that L had posed. ‘No need to give more information than necessary.’

Fair enough. I can narrow it down with that information. Your turn.” L looked at the leftover cupcake and considered all of the interesting ways that frosting could be used in terms of interrogation.

“I can’t think of anything at the moment. Take another turn.” Michi wanted to be careful with her questions.

“Alright. Could you go into a little more detail about how you went from Okinawa to Salina? It just seems like such a large leap and only slightly suspicious due to your father’s military background.”

‘Shit. I was hoping he wouldn’t go there.’ Michiko sighed and sat back in her seat, playing with the remains of her brownie wrapper. “I was born in the Nakagami District of Okinawa. You are already aware of my father’s Air Force career, so it is no stretch of the imagination as to how he met my mother. She was a native Okinawan, raised by my grandmother. My mother’s dad was also a military man, but he left my grandmother when she was pregnant with my mom. So, my mom has kept my grandmother’s name in our family. When she met my dad, they married after a few months of dating. Soon after, I was born. My dad was worried about me standing out in a traditional Japanese school, so he tried to lessen the burden by letting my mother name me. Hence, my current name. As to how we wound up in Salina...” Here, Michiko took a deep breath before continuing. 

“I don’t remember much of what happened. But I gathered that the Okinawans were sick and tired of having the Air Force base so close to their homes. One night, shortly after my third birthday in 1988, someone set our house and several other military homes on fire. My father feared for our safety and, at his request, the military set us up in Kansas. My parents then changed my name to keep me safe. When I turned eighteen, I changed my name back to Michiko because it seemed to fit me more than that other name. My parents never hid our past from me, but always told me to remain quiet about it to strangers.” Michi looked up. “Does that answer your question?”

L was silent for a moment as he absorbed all of the information. He had known a few of the smaller details, such as the fire. The intricate familial details, however, were more helpful when they came from the source itself. ‘So that explains her name change when she went to the States. I can see why her father would be worried.’ L brought himself back to the moment at hand. “That takes care of some details. Do you have your second question in mind, now?”

“Yes. How long have you been working as L?”

L considered the question carefully. “My memories only go as far back as Watari taking me into Wammy House as a young child. My exact age was never figured out, so I was given a date of birth based on how old I looked to be. From the moment I walked through the doors, I was groomed to take on the role of L. I was always working on cases in my spare time, so I couldn’t give you an exact date as to when I ‘became’ L. It’s just always been a part of me.” L looked at the remaining bits of his cupcake, briefly considering his convoluted past.

Michi then stretched and looked at the watch on her left wrist. “Well, it’s 20:13. Do we want to do some more research before the more human one of us drops off to sleep?” L chuckled at her analogy. His lack of sleeping habits had brought about some weird comments or two, so he was used to it.

“You don’t want to use your last question?” L asked as he collected the brownie wrapper from Michiko and moved towards the waste bin.

“No. I have a feeling we both want to save those for another time.” Michiko smiled softly as she stood and moved towards the computer room with L following closely behind.

After a few hours with no new leads, L rolled his shoulders and tapped Michiko on her shoulder. She turned to look at him with bleary eyes and his heart lurched at the sight of his overworked partner. ‘I normally wouldn’t say this, but I think she has deserved a break. I can’t have her look worn out in front of the Oborins. The image just wouldn’t fit our profile.’ L quietly nodded towards the living area, implying that Michiko should get some rest.

Michi let out a sigh and stood, stretching in the process. She patted L’s shoulder before walking into her sleeping quarters. The gesture of gratitude was not lost on L and he smiled softly before turning back to the computer.

After waiting for an hour to ensure that Michiko had fallen into REM sleep, L stood from his computer and walked into the living area, with the intention of turning down the gas fire. With that accomplished, L turned back to the computer room. He glanced over to make sure Michiko was sleeping soundly.

The simple glance turned into lost time as L watched his partner sleep. Sleep was something that was lost on L, since it ensured nothing but losing time on important cases that had to be solved. But it was a necessary evil for others. Michiko looked relaxed and unworried by the world around her. ‘That must be a nice feeling.’ L thought. 

Michiko suddenly twitched in her sleep and her brow furrowed with worry. L knew that look all too well from when he had to watch over Near and Mello when they were younger. Her mind was entering disturbing territory. L’s instincts took over as he moved towards the couch and crouched beside it. He then reached for her hand and held on tightly, waiting for the storm to pass. Michiko’s hand instinctively tightened, looking for an anchor to hold her to the real world. The thoughts soon faded and her face and hand relaxed. L sighed and brushed a stray, damp hair off of Michiko’s forehead. As he did so, Melody’s question rang loudly in his head: ‘Do you really care about her safety or are you trying to dismiss the idea that you want to be the only one to keep her safe?’

‘So what if I do want to protect her?’ L thought. ‘The only thing that would change for me is... everything.’ He let go of Michiko’s hand and stood, moving back into the safe darkness of the computer room. He had never once concerned himself so intimately with the well being of another person. Doing so now could change his entire outlook and mannerisms. ‘Am I really ready to take that risk?’ L looked at the reflection of the couch in his computer monitor. ‘Have I already taken that risk?’ L sighed as he went back to writing his email to Abram, confirming that Karina and Denueve would be delighted to attend the opera with him. After pressing ‘send’, L sat back and rubbed his temples.

‘What was that Emily Dickinson quote again?’ L thought. ‘Ah, yes. ‘We turn not older with years, but newer every day.’’ L turned his chair around to look over at Michiko’s sleeping form. ‘So true, indeed.’


	17. Operation L'amore è Solo un Sogno (Love is Only a Dream)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

2 November, 2012

The night of the opera had arrived. L, who did not know the meaning or reason of the words ‘rest and relaxation’, decided to send Michiko out for the day. He was wrapping up some other cases that had been on the back burner since he had taken on the Volya case. As such, Michiko had nothing to do. He couldn’t have her pacing around the apartment. By sending her out for the day, he gave himself some breathing room and allowed her to let off some steam however she saw best.

‘She’s probably at a coffee shop right now, knowing her.’ L looked briefly over at his GPS tracker that was open in another window to confirm his suspicions. ‘Hopefully she will get back in enough time for us to get to the Theatre a little early. I would like to talk to Abram before the show starts.’ L figured he could pick up Michiko if necessary. The opera would begin seating at 18:20 with the show starting promptly at 18:30. L looked at the computer clock. 16:04. If Michiko got back in an hour, they could leave after half an hour of preparation and arrive with twenty to thirty minutes to spare with the Oborin’s, if necessary.

‘I should probably put myself together before she gets here.’ L figured that having himself ready to go could silently put a little pressure on Michiko to get ready quicker. It wasn’t that she was a slow dresser, it was only that it was quite unknown to L as to how long the ritual of hair and makeup would take with her. ‘If she sticks around long enough, I may be able to track the times it takes her and find an average.’ L sighed before walking towards the shower. ‘I wonder what it is like to think normally. It must be incredibly boring.’

**Later**

At 17:22, L was sitting at his computer again. Freshly showered with black suit, white shirt, and skinny black tie in place, L flipped through his files on the Oborin’s in order to get his mind in the right place. Michiko had texted him saying that she was going to pick up some food for them to eat before the opera. ‘Good thinking on her part.’ L thought as he scrolled through the evidence file. ‘If either Oborin pours or buys us a drink, we wouldn’t want it going straight to our heads.’ As the thought, left him, L heard the front door slam. The force of it implied that Michiko was either upset or had her hands full. L went for the latter.

“Well, well, well. Don’t you clean up nicely?” L looked over his shoulder in the direction of Michiko’s voice. She stood in the doorway wearing a gold satin dress. The dress was held up on her left shoulder, leaving her right one exposed. There was some woven ruching on the right hip of the dress while the bottom half of the dress flowed freely down to her gold, one inch heels. Her hair had been pulled up in a french twist to show two delicate pearl earrings. She also carried a small gold clutch. No other jewelry adorned her, unless one counted the plastic bag on her wrist as jewelery.

“Nice choice.” L said before turning back to the computer. “May I ask how you got ready beforehand?”

“I got coffee with Ana earlier. Piero suggested I go back to her place to make dinner and get dressed. Save time and have private girl talk.” Michiko reached in the bag and pulled out a plastic tupperware container. “I know it isn’t your normal sweets, but I promise it will be good.” She placed the container and a set of chopsticks next to L’s left elbow before pulling out her container and sitting in the chair next to him.

L sniffed at the air before looking at the food. It certainly smelled sweet, whatever it was. L logged off the computer and picked up the container, easing the cover off of it. Inside was what looked to be chicken smothered in a healthy dose of sweet and sour sauce. Underneath that was a small bed of jasmine white rice. But something smelled different...

“You just made sweet sauce, am I right?” L picked up his chopsticks, looking over at Michiko.

“Yep. On yours at any rate. I wasn’t sure if you liked it sour and I really didn’t want to take a risk.” The two detectives ate in silence, keeping an eye on the time. At 17:30, they packed up the last of their food and Michiko carried the containers to the kitchen and placed them in the fridge. They then grabbed their jackets and headed out the door.

Once they were settled in the car and moving towards their destination, the air around them thickened perceptively. Michiko decided to take the time to clear up some things with her boss. “So, what is the objective here?”

“The main purpose is for me to get an ‘in’ with one of the Oborin’s. At worst, I’ll have to go through one more so-called trial to prove my worth.” L shrugged. “Rule of three, you know. First the party. Now the theatre. Possibly a third test beyond that.” Michi nodded, easily following L’s train of thought.

“Okay. What exactly is my role tonight?”

“I hate to say it, but I may need you to play up your feminine wiles on the son while I speak with Abram.” When Michi tilted her head in confusion, L spelled it out more clearly: “You may need to flirt with him during intermission.”

“Won’t that give him the wrong idea of me being a devoted fiance?”

“You were a prostitute to start with. It won’t be a stretch of the imagination that you would flirt with him.” L looked over at Michiko. “I trust you’ll play the role how you see fit.”

Michiko nodded. While she never thought she would be in this position, she knew it was for a greater cause of breaking through Volya’s tough exterior. Before she could as any other questions, they had pulled up in front of the theater. Michiko took a moment to fish the ‘engagement’ ring out of her purse and slipped it on her left ring finger.

When L came around and opened her door, Michi unknowingly offered him her left hand so he could help her out. L briefly ran his thumb over the ring before supporting Michiko out of the car. ‘Great job. You just dropped a major hint about your feelings.’ L had to shake himself loose from his side tracked thoughts. They had a job to do. Luckily, it seemed as though Michiko had decided to ignore L’s slip up.

As they walked into the theater, Michiko slipped into Karina’s skin and began to gawk at everything around her. Karina was stunned by the modernistic approach to architecture. She had always felt that opera houses were stuffy and boring but this one was open and bright. Denueve escorted her towards the coat closet so that they could dispense with the unnecessary garments. When he removed her coat, she felt that his fingers lingered more than needed on her shoulders. ‘Hence why he is my fiance.’ She thought to herself. They then linked arms and walked up the stairwell towards the opera boxes.

“Denueve, my friend!” Abram waved the couple over towards a curtain on the right side of the corridor. After dispensing the necessary pleasantries, Karina and Denueve stepped behind the curtain into the opera box. The box was situated to the left of the stage and the occupants could see the whole stage very clearly. There were eight seats in the box which were divided into two sets of four by a small row down the middle. Ruslan was seated in the right front seat, closest to the row. He stood respectfully and bowed towards Denueve. He then reached for Karina’s hand and kissed it, all the while looking in her eyes.

‘Well that just up’d the creepiness factor.’ Karina kept the smile on her face and demurely looked down, to avoid looking at Ruslan for very long. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Denueve offering her a hand. She then noticed that the seats were one step down from the aisle she was standing on. She turned, steadied herself on Denueve’s hand, and sat down in one of the two front row seats. Across the aisle, Abram settled in to the right of his son. The four seats behind the group were empty and it appeared that no one else would be joining the four of them.

“Well you two certainly clean up nicely.” Abram leaned forward to assess the lovebirds.

“Surely you are only speaking about me.” Denueve said with a small smirk on his face. “Karina has always managed to look beautiful; no cleaning up needed.” He then lifted her left hand to his lips and lightly kissed it. Karina knew it was an act, but something about that move seemed… unplanned.

“Have either of you seen or heard of the story of Aida?” Ruslan enquired.

“I saw the Broadway production in New York a few years back, but I don’t believe Karina knows the story.” Denueve replied. As he said that, the lights began to dim and the noise in the house lowered to a soft murmur.  
“Well, I can tell that you are in for a treat, Karina.” Ruslan nodded towards her and then shifted his attention to the stage.

As a matter of fact, Michiko did know the tragic story of Aida and her lover, Radames. For Karina’s sake, however, she kept that information suppressed so that Karina could see the opera with fresh eyes.

The first two acts were tearjerkers for Karina. Radamès hoped to free and marry the Princess Amneris’ slave, Aida. But when Amneris discovered the couple’s love for one another, she instantly knows that Aida is not only her slave, but rival for Radamès’ love. Eventually, Radamès was named the leader of the army that would go to war to fight the Ethiopian army. Aida was so torn between her love for Radamès and her devotion to her homeland that she prayed to her gods for mercy on both the victor and the captives, whomever it would turn out to be. When Amneris sends two of her handmaidens to talk with Aida and discover her true feelings, everything spills out. Amneris learns that Radamès is to come home victorious with slaves in tow and goes to the celebratory procession with a plan. Aida sees her father, an Ethiopian king, in the slavery procession. He signals to her that she should not reveal his identity and tries to plead his case for freedom. Radamès is touched by his plea and adds his voice to the kings cause. The pharaoh grants freedom to all of the slaves except for Aida’s father, whom he decides to keep in custody. The second act ended with the king declaring that, as a reward for his victory in battle, that Radamès would marry Amneris.

As the curtain came down and intermission began, Karina took a handkerchief out of her purse to dab her eyes. ‘How oft art mirrors life.’ she thought to herself. She felt someone squeeze her knee softly and looked over at Denueve. He quietly nodded over to the Oborin’s and Karina turned to see Abram rising and coming towards the aisle. Denueve then stood and met the man in the middle. The two of them then walked out leaving Ruslan and Karina to speak during intermission.

Karina pulled out a powder compact to check to make sure her mascara had not run during the performance. As she put it away, she heard a deep voice purr in her ear, “So what do you think of it so far, dama noci.” Ruslan had taken a seat behind her and was leaning forward to speak to her. The move would have made her jump if Karina had not seen Ruslan sit down in her compact.

“It’s quite sad. I really hope this has a happy ending.” Karina replied. Ruslan chuckled at her naivete.

“I won’t ruin it for you. So, what is it like living with Denueve? He seems like an odd individual.” Ruslan moved a stray hair from Karina’s neck and she could feel his breath on her shoulder.

“I don’t see too much of him. We’re in the process of moving my things to his place, but I’m still staying in my own apartment for now. But he certainly is odd.” Karina agreed.

“Interesting.” Ruslan said softly, even though his voice did not hold a hint of interest in what Karina was saying. His fingers lazily traced over her neck and across her shoulders. “It’s a pity he has not yet made you a permanent fixture in his bed yet. I would not let your youth go to waste like that.” Karina tensed at Ruslan’s words.

“Well, there is value in letting something like that wait.” Karina tried to keep the waiver out of her voice.

“Indeed. If nothing else to let something simmer and bubble until it is ready to explode.” Ruslan whispered in her ear. “Tell me something, Karina. Do you prefer to work for something or would you rather it be handed to you without question?”

“I would rather work for it, of course.” Karina said, instantly. Ruslan let out a low laugh.

“Oh, I’m sure you would.” he whispered before kissing her exposed shoulder. At that moment, Denueve and Abram walked into the box carrying two drinks each. “Ah. I am afraid our conversation will have to resume another time, my dear.” Ruslan said loudly enough to be heard by the other men. He then stood and accepted a drink from his father, allowing Denueve to slip past him and to the seat next to his fiance.

“Hope you’re a fan of bourbon because they were out of rum for the Coke.” he whispered. “Bourbon is the next best thing in my opinion.” Karina took a sip of her drink. It was more Coke than bourbon but she could certainly taste the warmth of the alcohol.

“Not enough for me to make any rash decisions, right?” she whispered back.

“Hardly. I made sure it was less than half a shot.” Denueve switched his soda to his left hand and grasped her left hand. “Your nerves were looking a bit frayed, so I thought this could help.”  
Karina laughed lightly. “Mi conosci così bene.” she said under her breath as she took another sip.

“Solo così come mi conosci.” Denueve whispered in reply. Karina glanced over at him. The words that had passed between them were not statements as Karina and Denueve, but as Michiko and L:

_You know me so well._

_Only as well as you know me._

‘Did… did we just...’ Karina’s thoughts were interrupted as a chime rang through the hall, alerting wandering patrons to take their seats. Denueve tightened his grip on her hand and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

“We need to talk when we get home. Something came up.” He pulled aside the left part of his jacket to show Karina a glimpse of a black envelope tucked away in an inner pocket.

‘Damn it. Another test.’ Karina sighed and nodded. The lights then began to dim as the third and fourth acts commenced. As the stage lights came up, Karina glanced over at Ruslan, only to see him grinning at her as a wolf would towards its prey. ‘Trapped between hell or high water.’ she thought to herself.

The third act began with Amneris and the high priest walking along the banks of the Nile in order to pray at a nearby temple. They stumble upon Aida who is waiting for Radamès to appear in the garden. While Amneris and the priest hide in the temple to hear what will happen, Aida’s father appears and tells Aida that she must be faithful to her homeland and she must interrogate Radamès about his plans to attack Ethiopia. He then hides just as Radamès appears and declares his love for Aida. The lovers then plan of their secret future together and Radamès agrees to run away with Aida. Upon her insistence, he tells her how his army plans to attack Ethiopia. Aida’s father comes out of the brush and reveals himself to be the Ethiopian king, Amonasro. Radamès falls into despair, fearing he has become a traitor to his beloved Egypt. As Amonasro and Aida try to comfort him, Amneris, the high priest, and guards come out of the temple. Radamès helps Amonasro and Aida escape and then gives himself up to the guards for letting the slaves get away.

In the final act, Radames remains silent against the accusation of being a traitor. Amneris offers to save him if he will give up her rival, but Radamès refuses. Despite Amneris’ pleas for mercy, the priests sentence Radamès to death by being buried alive. As the underground crypt is sealed, Radames discovers that Aida has hidden in the vault to share Radamès’ fate. They express their love for the last time while Amneris, in the temple above, prays for Radamès’ soul.

Karina was outright weeping when the curtain came down on the last scene. Thank heavens she was a silent crier, otherwise Denueve would give her grief about it later. The cast bowed to thunderous applause and the lights to the house of the theatre came up. Karina quickly pulled out her compact to assess the damage. ‘Thank the gods for waterproof mascara.’ she thought as she put the compact away. She then rose with Denueve and walked towards the exit. The two stood outside the box waiting for their hosts.

“Well that was indeed an enjoyable evening!” Abram said as he walked out of the box followed closely by Ruslan. “Well, my friends. I do hope I will have the enjoyment of your company soon.” He grasped both of Karina’s hands in his and kissed her on both cheeks. “Stunning as always, my dear. Don’t be a stranger, now.” He shook his finger at her as she smiled at him warmly. As he shook hands with Denueve, Ruslan leaned forward and kissed her on her cheek.

“Just remember my question and keep it close to you.” He stood and nodded towards Denueve before following his father down the stairs. Karina then felt Denueve grab her arm.

“Like I said before, we need to get back to the apartment.” The two quickly walked towards the coat check and got their belongings before meeting Piero out at the curb. L quickly lost his other personae and pulled his knees close to his chest when the door was closed. He looked to be deep in thought.

Upon their arrival at the apartment, Michiko opened the door and let herself out. The air was really tense in the car and she had to get out of the dress as soon as she could. She let herself into the apartment and walked straight to the kitchen to get a cold drink. She opened the fridge and pulled her hair out of the french twist so her hair fell down her back. She slipped off the high heels and then grabbed a soda.

As she shut the refrigerator door, she saw L was leaning against the doorframe, staring at her. His jacket was on the peg by the door and he was twirling the black envelope between his fingers as he stared at her, darkly.

“So. Do you want to explain what you were doing with Ruslan earlier?” L said in a low tone. Michiko shivered when she heard and felt the iciness in his voice. The grey in his eyes was muddied to a dark steel as he waited for her answer.

‘Oh, shit. I think I made him jealous.’ The realization hit Michiko with a mixture of pride and fear. ‘What the fuck do I do now?’


	18. Cracks in the Facade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: If anything about BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) freaks you out, stay away from this chapter. You have been warned.
> 
> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

3 November, 2013

Michiko was backed up against a floor to ceiling cabinet in the kitchen with a seemingly jealous L advancing on her. He stopped a foot short from her and stood there, silently assessing her fear. After a few tense moments, he relaxed into his normal hunched state, rubbed his eyes, and moved towards the small kitchen table. It wasn’t until he was seated in his normal position that Michiko felt safe enough to join him.

‘This is one of the few times I have actually been afraid of the man.’ she thought as she twiddled with her soda can. She took a deep breath. “What…”

“We’ll deal with that later.” L said, abruptly. “Right now, we have a rather serious issue on our hands.” He dropped the black envelope on the center of the table. It was shaped in a perfect square and lined in black satin. The back of the envelope was facing up and there was black, raised lettering on it. Michiko thought it was an address, but when she tilted her head to the side, all she could make out were the initials ‘T.G.’ She shook her head and turned her attention to opening her soda can. After taking a swig she looked back at L.

“Okay. I’ll bite. Who or what or where is T.G.?”

“T.G. refers to an event that is put on by a select group of people in Edinburgh, Scotland.”

“Oh, goodie. Time to visit my great-grandfather’s homeland in the damn near dead of winter.” Michiko drawled. Normally, the idea would have excited her, but L’s evasiveness was putting her on edge. “And who is in this select group of people?”

“Well, the Oborin’s, of course. I, myself, haven’t played around much with this group. But I know my way around the club well enough from past cases.” L danced around the subject, yet again.

“Damn it, just come out and say it! What the hell does T.G. actually stand for and in what context is it so bizarre that you can’t respect me as your partner and tell me what it is?” Michiko narrowed her eyes at L. If there was one thing she hated, it was getting jerked around very prominent bushes. The bush in this case being the little black envelope.

L sighed. “What do you know about the BDSM community?” He watched Michiko’s eyes grow wide in realization.

“What…? You mean…? They…? You…?” Michiko didn’t know what to tackle first. The fact that the Oborin’s were suspected lifestylers. The fact that she would have to possibly get tied up for this particular mission. The fact that her boss had just said it had not ‘played around much’ with that group of people.

“Just breathe, Michiko.” L said, calmly. “You will not get hurt anymore than you want to.”

“I don’t want to get hurt at all! Shit. I mean, what kind of sick psycho gets turned on by people hurting one another?” And then she remembered her conversation with Ruslan:

“Tell me something, Karina. Do you prefer to work for something or would you rather it be handed to you without question?”

“I would rather work for it, of course.”

“Oh, I’m sure you would.”

‘Oh, holy fuck.’ Michiko covered her mouth, trying desperately to keep the bile in her stomach. ‘I basically told the man I’m a submissive.’ Now Ruslan was probably just waiting to get his hands on her and test how hard she would work for whatever carrot he dangled in front of her. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“I didn’t give you an option, Michiko.” L said, cooly. “We have to go to this if we are to gain any last remnants of trust from the Oborin’s. You know what is at stake here.”

Michiko drank the rest of her soda and pushed back from the table. She had to get outside and get some air. Her head was spinning and she was afraid she would be sick. When she got to the doorway out of the kitchen, however, her mind was made up that she had something else to take care of first.

“You say we have to gain the Oborin’s trust.” she said over her shoulder. “But what about the trust between us? As partners?” She had to throw in that last bit to be sure L didn’t insinuate something else from her words.

‘Ah. Here we go. That picture rears its ugly head.’ L closed his eyes and tried to keep his cool. ‘Remember: you do not know what she is talking about.’ He turned his head to look at her. “Did I do something that happened to betray your trust?” he asked. Michiko turned and grabbed her purse off the other peg. L could hear the beeping and clicking of her phone as she searched for the damning picture.

“I am referring to this.” Michiko walked over and slapped her phone on the table. L didn’t need to look at it, but he humored Michiko by doing so. There it was. A harmless hug between friends being taken out of context.

“And your point? It sounds as though you are jealous of the fact that I am still friends with people back home.” L pressed the ‘off’ button to turn off the picture.

“That is hardly it! Did you two date in the past?” Michiko asked.

“We did. One time. We stayed friends after that catastrophe. I don’t see how…”

“Exactly! You two did date once. There was something there, once upon a time.” Michiko began to ramble and L sat by, letting her get it all out. “That means that you two could still get together one day. Now I know that I have been reading between the lines too much and I can stop this fake charade that has been going on in my head all this time.” Michiko took a breath to continue, but was stopped short when L tilted his head towards her.

“You want to talk about reading between the lines?” L stood up and over Michiko, backing her up towards the sink. “I knew about that picture. Mello was the one who took and sent you a simple photo of my giving a close friend and psychologist a hug. Melody was trying to help me get my head on straight about what to do with you. Yes, the same Melody that did your intake evaluation a year ago.” L added when he saw the look on Michiko’s face. “If there is one thing I cannot handle, Miss Nakashima, it is when things are assumed about me that I do not approve. I make my life dealing in lies, but this is one falsehood I cannot let stand.” L kept his grip on the sink counter, effectively trapping Michiko between his arms. “If we want to talk about ‘reading between the lines’, I could ask you why you let the son get so close to you during intermission. But I won’t. Because I know you were doing your job. As much as I wanted to tear him to pieces for touching you, I knew you could handle yourself no matter how shaken you got.” Michi stood there, stunned to silence. After what felt like an eternity, Michi cleared her throat.

“May I ask a question?” she whispered.

“You may.” L replied. Michiko licked her lips.

“Did… did we just admit that we have jealousy issues? In regards to other people messing with our dynamic?” Michiko looked up at L with a slight smile on her face. 

L blinked. ‘Well… that happened.’ He took in a breath, exhaled, and then nodded. “I suppose we did.” He let go of his death grip on the counter and fell back into his usual hunch. Michiko rubbed her arms as if to stave off a chill and looked at the floor. A minute passed in awkward silence.

“So… where do we go from here?” Michiko asked. L looked over at the table and at the black envelope.

“We can do one of two things.” he said. “We can pretend this conversation never took place and continue with the mission as planned. If you want out, I can make sure you are well placed in the department and taken care of beyond this point.”

“How about a third option.” Michiko stepped forward and around L so that he was looking at her. “We acknowledge what just happened, use that to our advantage on the mission, and then figure out where things will go when the case is closed.” L shook his head.

“We can’t do that. Intimacy has never been my forte. Ever.”

“Did I suggest that?” Michiko laughed. “I’m only asking you to trust me as someone who is still trying to unravel her feelings as much as you are. Hell, if we need to get Melody involved, I’m all for it.” Michi pointed over her shoulder at the envelope. “Plus, whatever is going on between us could give us an edge at that club. First and foremost, I am your partner. We have a case to solve and any advantage we can take will be better for us in the end.” L thought about it a moment.

“Alright. I suppose we could try.” L rubbed his neck nervously. “Not that I know anything about relationships beyond a professional standpoint.”

“And you think I’m any better at it?” Michi smiled and tilted her head.

“True. Three failed relationships under your belt is worse than my one.” L stated matter of factly before turning to leave the kitchen.

“Thanks for that.” Michi rolled her eyes and turned to pick up the envelope. As she held it, something crossed her mind. ‘I don’t really want the answer. Do I?’ Before her brain could stop her tongue, she called out, “Hey, L?”

L poked his head around the door frame. “Yes?”

“You said earlier that you hadn’t played around in this group for a long time. Which one were you? In the SM sense...” Michiko berated herself after asking the question. Even though his face was serious, L’s eyes twinkled as he replied.

“Do I really look like the submissive type to you, Miss Nakashima?” L let that statement linger in the air as he headed towards the computer room.

Michiko had to steady herself on the table after that comment. ‘My boss is into dominating people... I mean, I kind of suspected. But to hear him say it out loud...’ She closed her eyes and tried to stop herself from laughing at the absurdity of the situation.

‘Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.’


	19. In Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: If anything about BDSM (bondage, dominance, discipline, submission, sadomasochism) freaks you out, stay away from this chapter. You have been warned.
> 
> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

16 November, 2012

A week went by with no new developments, so L gave Michiko back to the main office so that she could do some more translation work for the department. They had not spoken about what had transpired between them the previous Saturday. Michiko did not want to push the subject beyond where it needed to go and L wanted to speak with Melody before he made any moves outside their yet to be established comfort level. They would only see each other briefly at the apartment whenever Michiko came home late at night or in the early morning hours.

Michiko was wrapping up a report when she received a text on her phone. She looked at the time. ‘23:48. I can only guess who would be texting me at this hour.’ She selected the text, heart slightly pounding.

Michiko, do not worry about coming back to the apartment. I’m doing some work in UN-004. Meet me there when you are finished. L.

‘UN-004? There is a U level, but I haven’t seen a UN level. Underground, maybe?’ Michiko opened a cabinet next to her desk and pulled out a small binder that contained the Emergency Escape protocol. Sure enough, there were underground interrogation rooms and labs. What disturbed Michiko the most, however, was a small footnote:

‘If any staff member or suspect are occupying the soundproofed interrogation rooms (001-008), a light will go off inside the room, thus alerting the occupants to evacuate.’

‘He said 004. What the hell is he planning?’ Michiko sighed and turned back to her report. She looked it over for any glaring discrepancies and then sent it off to the Chief. After she took a moment to compose herself, she got up and headed out of her office. She turned to switch off the light and lock the door behind her and then walked towards the stairwell to begin her trek into the underground level. She preferred the stairs over the elevator in this situation because it would give her more time to collect her racing thoughts. The darkness of the building made her nervous. Not hearing sounds of people moving around or seeing movement in the darkness gave the illusion that the building was properly abandoned. But she knew better. The further she headed down the stairs, the more she felt like turning and hightailing out of there.

‘No. I told him we needed to trust each other. I have to show him I can go through with this. Whatever ‘this’ is.’ Michiko finally arrived at level UN. To the right and left of her was a long, dimly lit, concrete hallway. According to the sign in front of her, to the right were the UN-L rooms and to the UN rooms were to the left. Michiko assumed the L stood for the labs, so she headed to the left. The rooms were all situated on the right side of the hall and were each spaced ten feet apart. When Michiko came to a stop in front of UN-004, she saw a sign on it that read ‘In Training. Do Not Disturb.’ in bold, red letters.

‘The hell…?’ Michiko knocked with trepidation. The door swung open to a very dark room and a table with two chairs on opposite sides. Michiko kept reminding herself that she trusted L as she stepped into the room and immediately plastered herself against the wall to the right. As the light from the hall dimmed, Michiko looked to her left to see L close the door. She couldn’t read the look in his eyes and that only fed her fear. As she stood in the pitch darkness, she tried to keep her breathing steady.

“It may not look it, but I promise you are safe here.” Michiko jumped when L whispered in her ear. She hadn’t heard him come up beside her. “Just so you are not startled, I’m going to tell you my next few motions. What you are about to feel is my hand under your chin. I’m doing this so I can feel your responses to my questions.” Even though she had been warned, the chill of L’s skin on hers was still a shock. “Okay. Now I want you to nod or shake your head to my question. Do not speak until I give you permission to. Do you understand my instructions?”

Michiko nodded, trying to keep her tears at bay.

“Are you afraid?” L whispered.

Michiko wanted to say no, but she couldn’t lie. She squeezed her eyes tightly and nodded.

“Is it the dark? Or something else? You have permission to speak.” L said.

Michiko swallowed hard and forced the words out. “I’m afraid of not being in control.” She choked on the last word, ashamed of her weakness.

“You are always in control of this and future circumstances.” L deadpanned. “If at any point, this gets to be too much for you to handle, just give me a safe word. When you say it, I’ll turn on the light and get you out of here immediately. We are right across from a panel that can get us outdoors, if need be.” Michiko nodded and relaxed a little bit. “So… what word should I be listening for? It should be one you don’t use in everyday language.”

Michiko thought about it a moment. She finally came up with an absurd, silly word that she rarely got a chance to use. “Platypus.” she said, softly.

“Alright.” L said softly. “Now, I’m going to take you over to the chair. It’s two sidesteps to the left and four steps forward. This requires me to have hold of both of your elbows.” Michiko nodded and L’s hand left her chin. She then felt two strong hands wrap around the soft inner joint of her elbows and lightly tug on them. She took very small steps so she would not stumble around in the dark. After the required steps, her right elbow was pushed back so that her body turned to the right ninety degrees. She heard a chair scrape behind her before feeling it hit the back of her knees. She patiently waited until L pressed on her shoulders before she sat down.

When his hands left her, Michiko began to panic. Aside from the cold plastic chair, she had no other orientation mechanisms to rely upon in the darkness. Her spinning thoughts were making her dizzy and she feared he might have left her alone in the room. She swallowed hard and tried to look in the darkness for his figure. “L?” Michiko whispered.

“Did I tell you you could speak?” Michiko jumped when his voice sounded directly in front of her.

“S… sorry.” she whispered. She heard a soft ‘clink’ sound on the other end of the table. It sounded like metal and her mind warped the sound into a variety of horrible things in mere seconds. Fear flared in Michiko’s stomach. ‘Just say it. Say the safe word and you can get the hell out of here.’ But her tongue refused to move; her throat constricted around her words.

“I am going to constantly remind you that you are in control here. You are new to this type of situation and I do not want to push you beyond your boundaries until I know you are ready. However, you will have to adapt fairly quickly if we are to make this aspect of our relationship believable to others. Do you understand?” Michiko nodded before she heard the last statement. “Also know that I cannot see you. So from here on out, give me vocal yes or no answers unless told otherwise. So… do you understand your place in this dynamic?”

“Yes…” Michiko said tentatively. ‘Truth be told, I have no fucking idea what is going on.’ Michiko stretched her hands out on the cold table, trying to find L from the sound of his voice.

“Good. Now, I want to test you on some of your hard limits. Do you know what that is?”

“No.” Michiko was scared of where this was going.

“Hard limits are actions that you know you can not and will not participate in, or for health reasons, you should not have these actions done to you.” Michiko heard a chair creak and imagined L leaning forward. “Do you know of any situations or actions you cannot handle under any circumstances?”

Michiko tried to speak, but her words caught in her throat. She coughed and forced herself to speak. “Tight spaces are hard on me. Um… I hate the idea of getting punctured or electrocuted. All three of those are stuff from my past that I know I can’t handle. Damn near passed out when I got my ears pierced…”

“Okay. No need to elaborate.” L interrupted. “Anything else?”

Michiko stared into the darkness in front of her, trying to see L. “I hate being alone.” L heard the pain in her voice and briefly wondered if he could continue with the experiment. But only briefly.

“Duly noted. Now, I’m going to try a few things to see if they need to be put on your hard list. Some of these things are related to items I found in your personal file, though I will not say how they relate. Also, both Oborin’s get a kick out of a few of the things I need to try on you. I just feel your limits need to be tested further, for your safety. Just know that I will not go anywhere near your hard limits. I promise.” Michiko relaxed upon hearing L’s words, but only for a moment. Again, Michiko heard the clink of metal on the other side of the table. “Please stretch your arms out in front of you.”

“Already beat you to it.” Michiko said ruefully, stretching her fingers further out into the darkness. She gasped when L suddenly grasped her wrists. She then felt cold steel replace L’s hands. She tried to move her hands, but the cuffs were held apart and in place by a single metal bar. As a result of reaching across, she had effectively pressed her ribs into the table. She pulled back and found she could only pull back half an inch. Her heart beat faster, panic forcing her breathing to pick up.

“Before you say your safe word,” L stated, “Just test yourself to see how long you can handle it.” Michiko took a long shuddering breath. She then rested her head on the cool table to try and calm down. ‘You’re over exaggerating the effects, Michi. He won’t hurt you.’ The silence stretched on, broken only by Michiko’s breathing and pounding heartbeat. She heard a loud scratch and flinched in response to the sound. With her head still down, she simply listened for a cue from L. When she didn’t hear it, she decided to sit up and hoped that moving the chain a bit would get his attention.

When she opened her eyes, however, the room was bathed in a soft glow from a single candle. She stared at the candle. ‘Oh, Christ. I know where this is headed.’ She kept her eyes fixed on the candle, even though the brightness of the flame could not match L’s gaze burning into the side of her head. She did not turn her head. It was not because she was afraid of him, far from it, in fact. She was more afraid of what he might see in her eyes.

L reached over, cupping Michiko’s chin in his left hand. He gently pulled her chin to face him. Her eyes were still locked onto the table. “Look at me, Michiko.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment to try and collect herself before slowly moving her eyes off the table and up to his face. She focused on his lips instead of his eyes, hoping he would get the hint. But he pushed her further. “Do I have to put us back in the dark in order for you to understand a simple request?” Her eyes finally locked onto his, fear plainly written in them. “Again, you know you are in control here. How well can you tolerate heat?”

‘Please tell me that was a literal question.’ Michiko hoped her thoughts were showing through her eyes as she answered. “I… I guess I could handle it. So long as it isn’t prolonged exposure.” L nodded before reaching for the small candle on his right. It was in a small metal tin and Michiko briefly saw the word ‘soy’ on the underside of the container as L swished the wax around, careful not to extinguish the flame.

“That’s good to hear. I promise will only feel hot for a moment. Assuming you know how wax works.” Without warning, he tilted the container, allowing some of the wax to fall on the back of Michiko’s left hand. She hissed and tried to back up, but the chain held her in place. As the wax cooled, Michiko’s senses went into override from the shock. She began to shake, but not from fear. ‘Why? Why is my body betraying me? I don’t want to like this.’ As she adjusted to the sensation on her hand, she came to a conclusion that both thrilled and terrified her: 

‘I don’t want him to stop.’ 

L noticed the change in Michi’s appearance. She had tensed after the initial shock of the wax, but her body now showed signs of acceptance and her eyes were no longer full of fear. ‘Huh. I would have figured after the fire she faced as a child that this would have been one of her harder limits.’ He filed her reaction in the back of his mind before he moved on to the next step. He reached behind his back to where a small upright bag leaned against his chair. His grip tightened around an ice cold handle. ‘I would not blame her if she runs screaming right about now.’

Michiko heard another scrape of metal, but this was a longer, more deliberate sound. ‘That better not be what I think it is.’ She quickly shut her eyes from the sight. She heard a heavy clunk and pryed one curious eye open. ‘Shitshitshitshit’ She was staring at a sword with a decorative handle. Tiny metal wires twisted around the handle, forming a small cage of sorts for the hand. She opened her eyes fully and looked at L, waiting for an answer.

“This is one of Ruslan’s ‘kicks’, I guess you could call it. Blame it on an inferiority complex if you want, but the last time I went to this place I saw Ruslan ordering a woman around on her knees with a sword to her back. This was before this case, however.” L clarified. “I was there three years ago tracking someone else and happened to see Ruslan. Hard not to see him with what he was doing.” L then stood up and grasped the handle of the sword. Michiko flinched slightly. “No need to be afraid, Michiko. The second anything is triggered, you know what to say.” She nodded slightly and closed her eyes tightly. She heard L chuckle.

“I was just about to ask you to close your eyes. Nice to see that your fear can heighten your sense of responsibility.” Michiko felt heat rise to her face. She was slightly pleased but mostly freaked by L’s statement. ‘A sense of responsibility? In this situation? Hard to believe.’ She then felt cold steel touch her left cheek. Due to the heat rising in her face, the chill of the sword was magnified a hundredfold. She took in a sharp, shuddering breath. ‘Why? Why the fuck is this messing with me so much?’ Michiko then tried to zone her focus in on her breathing and opening her senses.

L watched her closely. As he slowly ran the flat end of the sword along any exposed skin, he watched Michiko twitch and gasp under his movements. Under his control. Yes, L knew he was a control addict. He rarely had willing participants who would allow him to exert his control over them and objectively measure their reactions. But Michiko was far from willing. If anything, L could see that she was trying very hard to resist the feelings that the experiment was having on her. ‘Is she still stuck seeing me as her superior? Is that so bad? We both agreed that we shouldn’t move too far forward until we sort things out with Melody.’ L snapped out of his thoughts when he saw how violently Michiko was shaking. He looked down and saw that the flat of the sword was laying on the soft flesh under her right forearm.

Michiko tried so hard to keep calm, but memories began hitting her left and right. 

Heat. Cold. White room. Dark room. Alone. Nurse. Fear. Doctor. Bastard. Anger. Sick. So sick. 

Michiko whimpered in fear and clenched her fists tight before lowering her forehead to the tabletop. ‘I can’t… how do I stop this?’ She faintly felt the vibration of a chair scrape against the floor and then, a moment later, felt a hand on her left thigh. Over the roar of blood in her ears, she heard L ask a question. She couldn’t piece it into a cohesive sentence, but she got the gist of it: Do you need to get out of here? She nodded frantically.

L pressed the safety release on Michiko’s cuffs, freeing her instantly. He then scooped up her still trembling body in his arms and went towards the door. After opening it, he walked across the hall and leaned heavily against the concrete wall, revealing a passageway that sloped lightly upwards to an exit. As he moved upwards, he held Michiko closer to him. ‘What set you off? What are you hiding?’ L moved out of the tunnel and into a small garden where police officials would eat their lunches or smoke outdoors. He walked over to the chinese juniper tree that grew in the center of the garden and laid Michiko down in the soft grass. He then crouched next to her to keep an eye on her.

After a few moments, Michiko took in a few slow breaths. ‘Cool. Why is it so cool? Soft. Alone. L?’ She opened her eyes to look around. She saw L watching her attentively and felt a wash of shame. ‘I couldn’t last long enough. I’m going to blow this whole mission.’ Before she could open her mouth to apologize, L spoke up.

“Well, I think we know another one of your hard limits.” He offered her a hand so that she could sit up next to him. Once she sat up, he pressed her head onto his shoulder before continuing his train of thought. “We will meet up again tomorrow: same place, same time. We need to keep working on your limits until you can handle this in a believable fashion. Of course, that means I will steer clear of your forearms in the future. I promise I will not do that again.” With those words lingering between them, L looped his arm around Michiko’s back and helped her stand. “We need to head back to our apartment. You need to rest up and I have a sleeping pill with your name on it.” Michiko didn’t question him and nodded faintly. 

L pulled out his phone to contact Piero and have him pick up the two detectives out at the front of the station. Once they got around the building, Piero was waiting for them, with the car door open and a blanket for Michiko. The ride was all a blur to her and she barly registered L carrying her to their apartment.

‘Our apartment. We. Us. Can I really think in those pronouns yet? How delirious am I?’ Michiko ceased her line of thought once L laid her down on the couch and covered her with the blanket from the car. He then got a small fire started to keep her warm before moving to the kitchen. He came back with a cup of peppermint tea and a small white pill, both of which Michiko accepted gratefully.

“This is not a time release pill. It will dissolve almost instantly and go straight into your bloodstream. You suffered a lot of shock tonight, so don’t be surprised if you fall asleep fairly quickly.” L stood over her, hands shoved into his pockets as he relayed the information. Michiko nodded and swallowed the pill dry, following it with a swig of tea.

As she lay back on her pillow, Michiko began to fade into sleep. Her heartbeat had finally slowed and her breathing slowed along with it. Before the darkness took her, she could have sworn she felt someone leave a feather-light kiss on her forehead. 

But that could have been the shock talking.


	20. Protect Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: If anything about BDSM (bondage, dominance, discipline, submission, sadomasochism) freaks you out, stay away from this chapter. You have been warned.
> 
> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

21 December, 2012

Michiko bit her lip to keep the whimpers from rising to the surface. Her arms were tied above her and her toes barely touched the wood of the stage that she stood upon. Her shoulders tingled from the light raps she had received earlier while her legs shivered from the combination of cold and anticipation. She made sure her hair hung around her face so that she could avoid the looks of the people around the stage. As she tried to steady her breathing, her hair was pulled back and the light pressure on her scalp caused her to lift her chin. She felt a warm breath in her ear as L reminded her to focus on what really mattered.

“Remember whose pleasure you are really here for.” Michiko nodded at his words and took a breath to steady herself. The corset she wore prevented any deep breaths, but air was scarce in the caves to begin with. L released her hair and Michiko focused her gaze on a single man in the audience. Ruslan was staring at her as a man possessed, slowly sifting a drink around in a glass as he gazed on Michiko. The cigarette smoke gave the air a dream-like quality, but the place and situation were no dream.

‘How the hell did I end up here?’ Michiko thought for the millionth time.

 **Earlier in the Day** \- 21 December, 2013

Michiko laid out the outfit she was cursed to wear that evening. The blood red corset shimmered under the light. Michi turned it over to look at the black ribbon that would lace her up from the back. Below the waist, she would be barely covered by a black skirt, garter, and fishnet stockings with tiny black bows on the back seam. The outfit reminded her what she was pretending to be. ‘Seriously, L. What the fuck were you thinking when you approved this purchase?’ Michiko started to unpack her makeup when she heard a knock on her door. “Come in!” She turned to see a familiar face standing in the doorway with a pot of coffee and two mugs in their hands.

“Hey, stranger. It’s been almost year since I last saw you.” Melody Chance stepped inside and sat on the edge of Michiko’s bed. Michi dragged her desk chair over and accepted a steaming mug of coffee. She then reached under her bed and dragged out a bottle of creamer and a small bag of sugar.

“So what were you thinking when you approved my mental wellness status to work with this madman?” Michiko handed the creamer to Melody as she fished through the sugar bag for her tablespoon.

“I figured you would be good for him. He tends to put up tough barricades around most people, but I saw promise with you.” Melody poured coffee into one mug and handed it to Michi. “So, how are you feeling about this whole…” Melody waved the coffee pot in the air, trying to find the right word, “Situation? Keep in mind, I’m a licensed professional. All of my files are in my head, so there is no risk of leaked information.” Michiko laughed as she dropped another full tablespoon of sugar into her coffee.

“I’m just nervous. I trust L, but I’m really worried about dealing with Ruslan. He just gets under my skin the wrong way.” Michiko remembered the conversation from the theatre and shivered. Melody noted the reaction.

“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. L is only protective where it counts.” Melody took a sip of coffee and paused. “I’m actually here because I have to ask a rather personal question.”

“Shoot.”

“Are you falling in love with him?” Michiko choked and Melody tried to hide her laughter into her cup. ‘Well, that answered my question.’ Melody thought.

“Damn. You’re straightforward.”

“Most everyone who grew up here is. But being straightforward is part of my profession as well.” Melody balanced her cup on her knee and looked Michiko in the eye. “Are you going to answer the question or do you not know the answer to it?”

Michiko looked over at the outfit on the bed, trying to articulate her thoughts. “It’s not that I dislike him. Quite the opposite in fact. But I certainly can’t say I’m head over heels in love with him, either. I’ve only worked with him for three months. I guess I’m… fond of him?” Michiko made sure she phrased that questioningly. Even she wasn’t sure what she felt for L, but she had gotten used to him being around.

“You’ve certainly mellowed him out. He’s much more sociable since you showed up in his life. Not so much that it’s creepy, but enough that he is saying more than just ‘good morning’ to people as he passes by.”

“That thought scares me anyways.” Michiko mumbled into her coffee. Melody laughed and stood with her mug and coffee pot.

“Well, I may as well leave you to get ready. In my professional opinion, I would suggest meditating or journal writing to get your mental state in balance for whatever may happen tonight.” Michiko nodded and raised her mug in thanks for the coffee. Melody stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her.

“So?” Melody turned towards the voice.

“'So' what?”

“Does she seem prepared?” L pushed off the wall to walk towards Melody.

“If she has any noticeable doubts, she is very good at hiding it.” Melody was trying to sound as professional as possible, but L’s outfit was making it difficult. “Raided Birthday’s closet recently?”

“Too intimidating?” L looked down at his all black outfit. He had indeed raided his former intellectual rival’s closet. The club called for a darker color scheme, so L’s white shirt was out of the question. He had adopted black slacks and a black turtleneck sweater. Over that, he had thrown on one of BB’s black trench coats. Melody shook her head.

“Just promise me you won’t go on a killing spree?” she joked.

“So long as Ruslan doesn’t hurt Michiko, then everything will be fine.” L tugged on the trench coat’s cuffs, trying to make the sleeves longer.

“Hold on. You were less than willing to say her name the last time we met. What happened that is allowing her name to slip from your tongue so easily now?”

L paused. “We have agreed that first name usage helps with the believability of our… pseudo-relationship.”

“Mmhm. You know I don’t believe a word you just said.” Melody went to walk past L and towards the staircase. “Just so you know, you are not the only one that cares for this girl. She gets hurt on this mission and you will have to look over your shoulder for a year.” With the cryptic message delivered, Melody walked down the stairs and out of sight.

‘Don’t worry. I’m well aware of the risks.’ L turned to look at Michiko’s closed door. ‘I only hope she does too.’

**At The Club That Night**

“You want me to do what?!” Michiko stage whispered up to L. She was kneeling at L’s feet as he sat on a leather couch. She self-consciously pulled up her corset when she caught a glimpse of yet another guy trying to look down at her breasts.

“We need to get Ruslan’s attention on you. So far, he has just been wandering from room to room looking for someone to play with. I signed you up to show off your abilities to whomever else may be interested in you.” L looked down at Michiko as she squirmed uncomfortably. “They have to get my permission to play with you, so I will make sure Ruslan gets first pick.”

“On a stage? Are you nuts?” Michiko immediately regretted raising her voice when she felt L’s fingers tangle in her hair and pull her head back.

“You want to try questioning me again?” His voice didn’t change in volume or tone, but Michiko was swiftly reminded where they were and what the ‘relationship’ was between her and L.

‘Act, damn it. Act.’ she thought to herself. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to say it like that.” L’s grip loosened, but he kept his hand in her hair. His fingers slowly rubbed her scalp until the tingling feeling from the earlier yank went away. Michiko really hoped the low throb of the music was drowning out her purrs of content. When L stopped massaging her head, she whimpered in sadness.

‘One month of training and he already has me like putty in his hands. What a weird dynamic.’ Michiko thought. She silenced her racing thoughts when a young man walked up to L with a clipboard. Michiko’s training kicked in and she kept her gaze averted as the two men whispered between themselves. When she saw the other man’s shoes move away she breathed a sigh of relief.

“It looks like we need to start heading over to the stage.” Michiko nodded and held out her arms. L kneeled in front of her and wrapped a satin ribbon around her wrists to keep them together.

“There is one more thing I need to do. This will ensure that, wherever you go in this club, you will be returned to me.” Michiko felt L’s hands wrap around her throat and heard a soft ‘click’ at her neck.

“Um… what the hell are you doing?” Michiko whispered.

“I’m making sure Ruslan doesn’t try to drag you out of here. If you ever leave my sight, this collar assures me that you won’t leave the club without my permission.” Michiko tried to look down at the collar, but it was not in her line of vision. L tilted her chin upward so that she looked him in the eye. “Just so you are aware of the collar’s construction, there is a silver plaque on the front. It has my phone number for the bouncers to call so that they can confirm that you are leaving with the correct person.”

“But what if Ruslan takes the collar off?” Michiko asked. L dangled a set of keys in front of her.

“The collar locks in the back. I have the only set of keys.” L stood and pulled Michiko up with him. “Time to put on a show.”

‘Great.’ Michiko thought to herself. ‘Time to put my wares on display.’ When she got to the stage, she saw there were two other girls that were being shown off. She focused on what she needed to do and walked up the stairs onto the small wooden platform. Thankfully, she was not going to be in the center, but on the right side of the stage. ‘Wait. L said he would have to show me off. What did that mean?’ As if in reply to her unasked question, L grabbed hold of her wrists and lifted them above her head.

“You’re going to need to jump a little bit. Not much just a small hop.” L whispered in Michi’s ear, keeping her arms above her head. When she jumped, he pushed her wrists back so that the ribbon around her wrist caught on a blunt hook above her head. This prevented Michi’s feet from landing flat on the floor and forced her to stand on her tiptoes.

‘Ohh boy. I hope I can feel my arms after this.’ Michiko knew she needed to start ‘phasing out’ as she and L had practiced. She relaxed her body, remaining conscious of her shoulders so that they did not raise to or past ear level. She also focused on L’s ‘rule of two’ that he had taught her. When in a submissive situation, Michiko would only heighten two of her senses so that she did not overwhelm herself needlessly.

‘Okay. I need a focal point for my eyes.’ Michiko looked out to scan over the crowd that was beginning to form. She soon locked eyes on Ruslan and decided to hold her focus on the drink he held in his hand. ‘One down. From here on out, I just need to breathe and focus on my body. Ignore sound. Ignore taste. Ignore smells. Just feel whatever you feel.’ Michiko kept the thoughts running in a loop in her head when she felt the first scratch from her neck to the top of her corset. She took in a short, quiet breath, but did not move her eyes from their designated point of interest.

Michiko lost track of time as L worked on her back, shoulders, neck and throat. Her exposed skin turned pink under L’s careful ministrations. Every time she was struck or scratched, L followed it up with feather light touches to clear the pain off of her skin. Once she relaxed again, that made way for a new flare of pain somewhere else. It was careful and calculated, but there was a tenderness to his touch. This was why Michiko trusted him. L had slowly built her up to this point, and from here on out, he never changed his tactics unless he cleared it with her first.

Michiko noticed that she was starting to lose focus when her eyes began to stray from Ruslan’s drinking glass. When L saw her head droop slightly, he instinctually grasped her hair to pull her head up. “Remember whose pleasure you are really here for.” he whispered. He had to remind her to focus on Ruslan at all costs. If the man felt that he was not getting the attention he was entitled to, he may lose interest in working with Michiko. Losing vital information due to a lack of resources was not something L would consider. In this case, the resource was Michiko. However prepared she was mentally, she had to appear willing and able in the physical sense so that Ruslan’s walls would weaken.

L looked over at Ruslan to catch the man’s predatory gaze on Michiko. He felt his stomach tighten as he reached up to untie Michi’s hands. ‘Why do I feel like I’m throwing her to a starving lion?’ He drew Michiko close to him, untied her hands, and very slowly lowered her arms down over her chest. He knew if he did it too quickly that her shoulders would seize up. When she lowered her arms the rest of the way of her own volition, L loosened his grip on her. “Are you ready, Karina?”

Michiko looked over her shoulder upon hearing her alias. Her slight nod was all L needed before he took her arm to lead her towards Ruslan.

“Well, my friends. That was quite a show.” Ruslan threw his words towards the couple while his eyes raked over Karina’s body.

“I noticed you were quite the captive audience member.” Denueve said. “Saw something up there you liked?” He ran his hand over Karina’s back, part reassuring, part self-comfort.

“Maybe.” Karina looked up at Ruslan’s face. She attempted to make the look on her face one of need instead of displaying the fear in her gut. Ruslan grinned and threw back the rest of his drink. “Any chance I could play with this tasty morsel?”

“Pardon?” Denueve’s voice displayed his distaste in Ruslan’s choice of words. “I’m sorry. I thought we were talking about Karina, not a piece of meat.” Ruslan’s fiery look met Denueve’s cold gaze, daring the man to back down from his statement.

‘Clearly, Ruslan doesn’t know who he’s messing with.’ Karina thought. It was touching to see her not-fiance stand up for her. Ruslan finally sighed.

“Do I have your permission to play with Karina?” Ruslan said, clearly disgruntled.

“You may.” Denueve reached around to Karina’s wrist and untied the satin ribbon from her wrists. He gently rubbed them to get the blood circulating properly before turning and walking back towards the couch.

“Follow me.” Ruslan said, sharply. Karina kept her head down and kept a few steps behind Ruslan. She followed him through an arch and into a small room. To her right, there was a small fireplace that kept the cold stone in the room warm. She looked up in front of her and was suddenly happy that there were no doors in this particular facility. ‘I’m going to need a quick rescue after this.’ Karina was staring at a metal spider web that was strung between the floor and the ceiling. If she didn’t know any better, she would say it looked like something a child could climb on. But considering her surroundings, she was terrified as to what this meant for her. She felt a sudden pressure on her shoulders and her knees gave way from the weight.

“There are two things you need to know about me, Karina.” Ruslan kept his hands on Karina’s shoulders, pressing her into the floor. “One, you do have the freedom to talk to me normally until you are tied up. Two, once you are tied up, it’s about me and what I want.” He let go of her and walked over to a small table to pick up some rope. When he turned around, Karina saw that it wasn’t rope, it was simple white tying twine.

‘Oh Lord that is going to hurt.’ Karina cleared her throat. “In that case, could I ask a few questions?”

“Certainly.” Ruslan motioned towards the web, indicating he wanted her in front of it.

“Does your father know of your… preferences?” Karina teased as she walked towards the web. Ruslan chuckled at her question.

“If he does, I have a feeling it’s a shared pastime.” Ruslan picked up Karina and placed her so that her feet balanced on one of the webs bottom chains. He then proceeded to tie her ankles to two of the radius chains that connected the outer spirals to the center of the web.

“You suspect your father is in the lifestyle too?”

“I don’t suspect. I know.” Ruslan continued working on the ankle ties. “I walked in on him and one of my nannies when I was younger. He made me stay and watch.”

“Why would he do that?” Karina tried to keep her voice inquisitive.

“He wanted me to learn that women never truly know what they want. Hence why men have to teach them what would make them happiest.” Ruslan shrugged. “At least, that was what I learned from it. The way my nanny would flip flop between screams of ecstasy and cries toward my father to stop what he was doing. She liked it in the end.” Ruslan turned around and picked up more twine to tie Karina’s arms out and slightly upwards. Despite her desire to question Ruslan’s chauvinistic additude, Karina knew she only had a few more questions left.

“Where do you and your father call home? I’ve always pegged you as a Viking type.” Karina batted her eyelashes cutely.

“As kind of it is for you to say, I am nowhere near the Viking type.” Ruslan smiled. “I was born in Romania, raised and educated in Moscow until I was fifteen, and then my father brought me into his business in Varna, Bulgaria. I have been working for him ever since.”

“What is your father’s business? Denueve never informed me of it.”

“It’s strictly import/export business. Vodka, trinkets, the like.” Ruslan finished his last tie. “As far as what we import… well that is for another discussion, dama noci.” Ruslan pulled a black scarf out of his back pocket and tied it behind Karina’s head. She thought it was going to be a blindfold, but when it got pushed into her mouth, she began to panic.

‘Shit! How am I going to give him a signal? Is he just going to override my choices?’ Karina then remembered what he had said about his father and the nanny. ‘Oh shit, I am so screwed. Please tell me Denueve is nearby.’ She then heard the soft clink of something metal being removed from the bag on the table.

And there it was. That damned sword. Ruslan tilted it back and forth in the light. As he did so, Karina could see the faintest trace of red dotting the sides of the blade.

‘He doesn’t even clean it?! Oh hell no! I’m out of here.’ Karina began to struggle, trying to pull the twine apart.

“Oh no you don’t, sweetheart.” Ruslan turned to Karina, placing the end of the blade under her chin. “I know there is some kind of rule about checking your hard limits and some shit like that, but you’ll find out what you want from me. Just trust me.” Ruslan gripped Karina’s wrist as he moved the sharp end of the blade onto the top of her corset. In one swift move, the blade ripped through the material, leaving it hanging together by one small hook at Karina’s collarbone. While most of her breast was still covered, enough of her was exposed that she closed her eyes tightly with shame.

‘I’m done. I’m fucking done. Get me out of here!’ Karina screamed in her mind, but the scarf only allowed small gargles out of her mouth.

“Very nice.” Ruslan whispered. The end of the blade tickled over Karina’s warm skin, tracing her stomach. As the blade raised higher and he began to go for her arms, Karina fought back and jerked her arms back. In the process, the metal spider web bent back and then pushed her forward like a small trampoline. The action pushed her arm into the blade, the pain sending her reeling. As blood trickled down her arm to her shoulder, Ruslan’s eyes narrowed.

“Now look what you made me do, blyadischa.” Ruslan gripped Karina’s throat and came in close so she could see the rage in his eyes. “You made me damage my new toy. I may as well just teach you what the hell the word ‘submission’ really means.” Karina threw her head back and forth, trying in vain to loosen the scarf in her mouth. Ruslan ignored her, let go of her throat, and turned around, pulling a metal rod from the bag. When he withdrew a rod with a flat end, Karina’s fear went into overdrive and paralyzed her.

‘Please don’t let it be a brand. Oh God please don’t let that be a brand.’ Karina’s heart sank when the man turned around. It was indeed a small brand with the letters RAO displayed.

“I started the fire awhile ago. I have a feeling the coals should be hot enough by now.” Ruslan gripped Karina’s chin forcing her to look at him. “Your mind and soul may be claimed by your weak fiance, but your body will be mine.” he whispered. Karina got the feeling that this was retribution for Denueve standing up for her earlier and thus wounding Ruslan’s pride.

‘Please… please… someone help me...’ Karina tried to pull her arms and legs free, scraping the side of her head on the web to try and pull the gag from her mouth. Ruslan walked towards the fire and stuck the brand into the coals. After a long minutes and turning it over a few times, he pulled it out and tapped the ash off of it.

‘Yeah, because heaven forbid the scar gets infected.’ Karina stopped fighting and pressed her back into the web, wishing that the corset hadn’t been ripped. She knew she couldn’t get away, but if she could back away far enough, maybe the rebound would knock the brand out of his hand.

“I wish I didn’t have to use that scarf on you.” Ruslan reached around to pull Karina’s hair painfully back. “Your screams would be so delicious. But I guess this will have to do.” Karina watched the brand go lower and towards her right hip. When it left her vision, she closed her eyes tightly, feeling white hot pain on a tiny piece of her skin.

‘Help...’

“Alright, asshole. You’re fucking done here.” Michiko felt Ruslan’s weight get roughly pulled off her. As she took a moment to catch her breath, she felt a cool palm on her cheek.

“Are you alright?” she opened her eyes to see Denueve looking at her as one of the bodyguards cut her down from the web.

“No. He cut my arm. Among other things.” she said, weakly. Denueve quickly covered her shoulders with his coat and lowered her to the floor.

“Show me.” Karina held out her right arm. As she did so, her wrist hit the slight brand on her right hip. She hissed and Denueve looked down where she had hit her side. Only the straight line of the R had branded her skin, so the damage was minimal. She could easily pass it off as a small scar.

“Well that’s a relief.” Karina sighed and looked at Denueve. ‘Uh oh...’

The facade had fallen. Who she saw in front of her now was a very angry detective, who was damned and determined to wreak havoc on Ruslan’s life and limbs. The flat black of his eyes took in the partial branding before looking over his shoulder.

“Angel.” he said. The young man from earlier stepped around him. “Clean off her cuts and see that she gets something to drink. I need to step outside for a moment.” And just a quickly as he had shown up, he was gone.

“Here, love. Let me see those cuts you have.” The man named Angel kneeled by Karina. He saw the cut on her arm and whistled softly. “Well, love. You may want to throw on a t-shirt before I walk you over to the medical area.”

“I didn’t bring a change of clothes.” Before Karina could protest further, the young man pulled off his black t-shirt, plucked Denueve’s jacket off of her shoulders and threw the shirt over her head.

“Better?” His infectious smile caused Karina to giggle slightly. When she got his shirt on and the jacket back over her shoulders, she accepted his hand and walked towards the back of the caves where there was a small door labeled ‘Staff Only’.

“Ladies first.” Angel pushed open the door, motioning for Karina to go in first. She walked in and saw three other people in the room. There was a small fridge to the right, a sink, some cabinets and some large boxes. “Sit, Michiko.” Angel said behind her.

Michiko turned sharply. “How the…?”

Angel held up his hand. “I’ve been friends with the man you call Denueve for a few years. I also know that people use aliases when they come into places like this. He told me your name and I’m using it to try and calm you down.” Angel smiled again. “So… as far as a drink. What could I get you?”

“I don’t know…” Michi sat down and tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened. As she sat processing the information, a glass was plunked down in front of her. The giant of a man that sat across from her then poured an amber colored liquid into the glass from a flask he had on him.

“Name’s Corley, sweetheart.” He nodded to her, eyes twinkling above a red beard. “I’m normally a bartender in this establishment, Except on days like this when I have some time to myself. Ye look as if you’ve been to hell and screwed the devil himself.”

“Damn close to it.” Angel snorted as he rooted through a red medical kit. “Denueve thought it was smart to throw her at shit-head.”

“The Russian bastard? What the fuck is his name? Rusikoff or some shite?” Corley looked over at Michi and poured some more liquid in her glass. “Yea, ye need that more than I do, love.”

“Thanks.” Michiko raised her glass to the kind man a drank half of the liquid before she came up, sputtering.

“Huh. Looks like she can handle her whiskeys.” Corley laughed.

“Glad to see my suffering is funny to someone.” Michi mumbled into her glass. Once she had gotten past the shock, the warmth in her chest and stomach felt quite comforting.

“Let me see that arm.” Angel sat to Michi’s left with a bottle of peroxide, gauze, wrapping bandages, and a fresh needle and thread. Michi switched her glass to her left hand and shrugged off the jacket on her shoulders.  
“Good Lord above! What did he do to you, sweetie?” An older woman standing by Corley looked down at the blood on Michi’s arm in horror.

“It was kind of my fault. I thought I could fight him off and my arm hit the blade.”

“Still no excuse for what he did.” L said as he walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. While he wasn’t as frightening as before, the cold aura of rage still lingered around him. It was certainly disconcerting to see him with his hands in his pockets and hunched over as if everything was normal.

‘Not to mention, I’m not used to seeing him in all black.’ Michiko took another sip of whiskey as she looked L over. ‘I’m certainly not complaining though.’

“There. All done.” Angel said as he snipped the thread. Michiko had been so absorbed in L’s presence that she hadn’t felt the four stitches that Angel had expertly threaded in her arm. The cut certainly wasn’t deep, but it had been wide enough to require the stitches. “Just one more thing to check.” Angel lifted the shirt he had given Michi above her waist to look branded area of skin. It was still tender and needed cleaning, but it would heal fine. After a quick rinse of peroxide, and an exchange of clothing, Angel escorted L and Michiko out of The Caves.

“Be safe, you two. Let me know if I can be of any service to you in the future.” Angel shook L’s hand and leaned over to kiss Michiko’s hand, throwing her a sly wink in the process.

“Watch it.” L tightened his grip on Michiko’s shoulders.

“Just playing with you. You do have a good looking girl there.” Angel walked back to the club, throwing a wave over his shoulder. L moved towards the car, pulling Michiko with him. As they turned the corner, Michiko stared at the stucco in front of their rental car.

“What the hell…” Michiko stared at the blood on the wall. She followed the trail and saw that it was not only on the wall but managed to get on the front of the rental car as well. The blood trail then looked as if it had been stopped up and the remaining droplets went around the corner and into an alley.

“He only got what he deserved.” L said, matter of factly. As he opened the door for Michiko, she saw the bruises on his knuckles.

“Did you…?” Michiko was scared to find out the answer.

“Security was having trouble keeping him out of the club. I only helped in telling him to stay away from the premises.” L looked at Michiko and the fear on her face punched him in the gut. He sighed and rubbed his eyes to try and push that image from his brain. “When I was younger, I had a lot of trouble trusting people. After Watari took me in and I later got a chance to help raise Mello and Near, I vowed to myself that no one would hurt people I care about and expect to walk away unscathed. That list of people I care for is rather small, Michiko.” L nodded his head towards the cars backseat. Michiko slipped in, L following close behind. When the door closed, the driver took that as his cue to start driving back towards Wammy’s House.

“Well, while I appreciate what you did for me, how can I be so sure you wouldn’t do that to me?” Michiko asked.

L considered her question. “There is no guarantee.” He looked over at her. “But do you honestly believe, with our dynamic the way it is, that it could happen?”

“I like to hope not. But then again, we’re still learning about each other.” Michiko slid closer to L. She then rested her head on his shoulder. “By the way, thank you for protecting me. You’re doing a good job of it.”

L let out the breath he had been holding in for the past few minutes. ‘Even if she is lying to soothe my ego, it feels good to hear that.’ L wrapped an arm around Michiko and as she fell asleep, he quietly renewed his personal vow to protect Michiko at all costs.

After all, she was slowly becoming his living reason. And he couldn’t remember the last time he had had one of those before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> blyadischa: whore
> 
> dama noci: woman of the night


	21. Blame the Mistletoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

25 December, 2012

L was wary as hell. Not because he was worried about Michiko. Not because it was a traditional holiday season. Not because the Volya case was weighing heavy on his mind.

L was wary because Mello had thought it would be a “smart” idea to hang mistletoe in every doorway of Wammy House. Mello knew of L’s propensity to follow rules as necessitated. As it was, L was hiding in his room, trying to think of a way to get to the kitchen without running into Michiko and without being seen.

‘Wait. Why am I overanalyzing this? I can just ignore the rules. I’m sure everyone else is.’ L stretched and stood up. Before he could move to the door, there was a quick knock. “Come in.”

Michiko opened the door with one hand, jumped inside and quickly shut the door behind her. In her other hand was a small basket assortment of chocolate, fruit, and other sweets. She looked slightly frantic with her hair slightly wild and the pink in her cheeks indicated she had been running. L raised an eyebrow at her.

“Sorry. I had to play ‘dodge the mistletoe’ to get here safely. Who came up with the bright idea for people to kiss under a parasite?” Michiko leaned on the door to catch her breath.

“As an overall concept, it stems from Norse mythology when the goddess Frigga declared that mistletoe would forever stand as a symbol of love after her son Baldur’s death. Historically speaking, there were no ‘love’ ties to mistletoe until the Druids started viewing it as a sexual symbol.” L rolled his eyes. “Those are the easy explanations. In this case, it was Mello’s idea.”

“Doesn’t surprise me much. Especially since I saw Melody beating him over the head with a file folder.” Michiko walked over to L’s desk and placed the basket on the corner so it didn’t block the monitor. “Consider this to be a small Christmas present from me.”

“You could have just walked over from your room. It’s just next door.” L looked at the basket, trying to kick the idea of mistletoe out of his head.

“I could have, yes. However, I had all the food and no way to carry it. Hence why I went on that terrifying basket hunt.” Michi smiled and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “It’s just my small way of saying ‘thank you’ and… well…” Michiko looked to the floor and L felt his stomach knot up.

‘Don’t let this be a confession. Especially not on Christmas. That just reeks of cliches.’ L hated that the cynic in him was piping up now of all places, but it was true. However, holidays had been known to incite high levels of oxytocin in people’s brains. So perhaps her brain felt that now was as good a time as ever for Michiko to say something. L waited patiently for Michiko to continue. But before she could, a cell phone rang loudly, disturbing the moment.

“Oh Lordy. That’s me.” Michiko pulled a ‘pay by use’ phone out of her pocket. She glanced at the screen, smiled, and flipped it open. “Hey daddy. I’ll call back in two minutes.” She listened for a moment, quickly hung up, removed the battery and re-pocketed the phone. 

‘Okay. I’ll bite.’ L thought. “May I ask what that was about?”

“I always call my parents every Christmas just to let them know I’m okay and get a quick update.” She patted her back pocket. “I call my dad on this phone and he calls me back on a pay phone. He then tells me the phone number of a pay as you go phone that he has on him and them I call him on another pay by use phone that I have double encrypted ahead of time.” She smiled. “Both of the phones I have and the one dad has will be destroyed after the conversation. It’s the only way I know of to keep them safe and still stay in touch once a year.”

“Smart move.” L nodded. This was why he liked her. She had a good head on her shoulders. ‘Well, one of many reasons.’ L thought. “I’ll leave you to the phone call. Forgive me if I don’t follow you to the door.”

“I don’t blame you.” Michiko turned and walked to the door. She turned to smile once more at L, opened the door behind her, and quickly slipped out.

L let out a ‘whoosh’ of air and looked out the window, running his fingers through his hair. He had spoken to Melody a few times after the incident at The Caves. They both acknowledged that his possessive nature was certainly starting to cause problems. Seriously injuring a case suspect was slightly outside L’s territory. When L had told Melody that he had only done it in retribution for Ruslan branding Michiko, Melody had put the situation in simple terms.

“You’re pissed off that he marked what you deem to be yours.”

“Yes.”

“But does she know she’s yours? I mean, really? Outside of the small conversation you two had about possibly moving into the realm of a relationship, what have you done that shows her that you want her to be yours, in the romantic sense?” L had had to stop and think over that question. When he couldn’t produce an answer, Melody had leaned forward. “That’s your problem, L. Until you show or tell the girl that you want her to be yours, she won’t see future attacks like that as ‘possessive’ or ‘protective’. She’ll only look at those acts and wonder when she will be the next target of your anger.”

L sighed. He was frustrated with the whole situation. Yes, he wanted to tell Michiko how convoluted and tangled up he felt around her sometimes. Yes, he wanted to find out what it would be like to be more than ‘partners’ with someone who had the same feeling as him. ‘But it couldn’t possibly work out.’ L rationalized to himself. ‘I’m the most wanted, unknown man on the face of the Earth. If she was discovered to be associated with me in any way, that would spell her demise. That, and when the hell would either of us have time for each other, after this case?’ L sighed. It was a depressing thought that he would be alone the rest of his life, but it was one he had resigned himself to years ago.

L looked at his laptop. He couldn’t work without Michiko nearby. He had gotten so used to her sleeping nearby or being near him as he worked that he had taken to working on his laptop outside her room. Yes, he acknowledged it was slightly stalker-ish, but he couldn’t get work done otherwise. 

‘I blame it on unconscious conditioning.’ L thought as he picked up the laptop and headed to the door. He took a quick peek outside to make sure no one was in the hall and then stepped out and closed his door. He looked over his head and saw the offending mistletoe. ‘That needs to disappear.’ L reached up to pluck the offending foliage from the doorframe and then pocketed it. He then walked the few steps towards Michiko’s door and crouched by the door, steering clear of the mistletoe that was still affixed above it. As he settled in to get some work done, he could hear strains of Michiko’s laughter through the door. He leaned closer to the door so he could listen in.

“Of course I’m okay, mom. Stop worrying so much… I know it isn’t easy but it’s what I have to do to keep you guys safe… Who? My partner?... He’s an interesting man… Yes, daddy, he’s taking great care of me… No, mom, you won’t be meeting him anytime soon… Because, I don’t want to poison him with your cooking!... Rose! I can cook!... Burnt toast counts as cooking!”

L had to lean back from the door or else his laughter would have been easily heard. As he covered his mouth to stifle the sound, he came to a shocking realization. ‘I’m laughing… really laughing. Holy shit. I thought I wasn’t capable of that anymore.’ Then again, ever since Michiko had shown up, L had been shown that he was capable of a lot more than he thought of himself. ‘She’s certainly making me out to be a bit more… human. Yet she also accepts that I can’t be easily changed.’ As L pondered what that meant for him, he heard the last bits of Michiko’s conversation.

“Love you all and I’ll talk to you next year… Sure, daddy, what’s up?... Well, I couldn’t tell you… I know you want me to settle down, but life is too frightening to settle down… I know, but safety only comes after the danger has passed. You know this… If that ever happens, you will be the first to know… Love you too, daddy. Keep mom and Rosie safe… Bye.” L heard the click of a battery being removed from its casing and then silence. As he considered standing up to knock on her door, there were soft footsteps and the door opened next to him.

“Oh. Hi.” Michiko looked down at L. “How long have you been there?”

“I’ve gotten used to working with you around. Hope this isn’t too…” L waved a hand around, trying to find the right word.

“Creepy? It is, a little bit. But I understand the need for the familiar.” Michiko smiled. “I finally got the coffee pot to work in here, want something to help you stay awake?”

L nodded and stood, leaving the laptop on the ground. As he went to walk by Michiko, he stopped. ‘When an opportunity presents itself...’ He took in the current situation he had landed himself in: both he and Michiko were standing in a doorway. Under mistletoe.

Michiko seemed to read his thoughts and looked up. “I’m sorry. Should I…?” She made a move to try and reach the mistletoe, but L quickly grabbed her hand. She looked back at him, shocked. “Um… L? Are you okay?”

L’s wondered if she was referring to his actions or to the fact that his heart was beating damn near out of his chest at the moment. Yes, Michiko was not the first woman he had kissed. But she was the first one he was going to kiss outside of a mission plan and with the intention of making sure she stayed.

He moved in slowly, giving her plenty of time to back up, say ‘no’, or even hit him. But she did none of those things. When their lips met, it felt as comfortable and easy as if they had known each other for years. In that quiet moment, L and Michiko allowed themselves to love and be loved, something both of them were quite new to.

After a moment, L pulled away and watched as Michiko slowly opened her eyes. She looked drugged and slightly delirious, with a lazy smile creeping on her face.

“Well… that happened.” Michiko said, softly. L chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. There was no question now as to his feeling for her. The only remaining factor was how it was going to work.

‘I have enough time to figure that out.’ L thought. Michiko pulled back and looked up at him, now looking slightly more awake.

“So… about that coffee?” Michiko raised an eyebrow at L.

“I would say I’m running on enough adrenaline to work easily enough. Might need to coffee after the crash, though.” L leaned down to pick up his laptop and finished his walk through the door. Michiko rolled her eyes.

“And why, good sir, would you have an adrenaline crash?” L crouched in the chair and opened up his laptop, a small smile still on his face.

“I think we can blame the mistletoe for that.” he replied. Michiko giggled softly and walked over to the coffeepot, ready to continue work on the case side by side with her partner.


	22. A Fresh Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

02 January, 2013

While it was hard to leave England, Michiko knew that she and L needed to get back to their home headquarters. After reassuring Melody that they would keep in touch, Michi had been driven to the local airport and boarded a plane by herself. L had gone a day ahead to make sure their apartment hadn’t been raided by Ruslan’s goons. There was a lingering fear that Ruslan could have been stalking the two detectives while he had been in Japan. While L had tried to reassure her by saying that the probability was less than thirty percent, the fact that there was any percentage worried Michiko.

‘I’m just glad I travel light.’ Michiko thought as she lifted her rolling case into the overhead compartment. L had managed to get her and early non-stop flight to Japan that would arrive mid-afternoon. This meant that Michiko had twelve hours to amuse herself. ‘Screw amusement. I need to sleep.’ She curled up in her seat (ignoring her seat neighbor’s protests that she was hogging up the armrest) and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would steal her for the majority of the twelve hour flight. But nagging thoughts kept running through her head…

**Meanwhile**

‘What the hell was I thinking?!’

L stared blankly at the screen, wondering for the millionth time if he had gone over his head on Christmas day. He knew he was out of his depth in even thinking of pursuing a relationship with Michiko. ‘Hell, we both know she deserves someone who can process human emotions on a scale relative to normalcy.’ Normal. If there was one trait that L did not have on his personality chart, it was normalcy. It was an overrated and useless trait to be cursed with. When someone called you ‘normal’ they were really calling you ‘boring’ to your face. But ‘normal’ also implied the words ‘consistent’, ‘predictable’, and ‘comfortable’. By his own process of elimination, that would mean that L was out of the picture as far as what he wanted for Michiko.

‘But she didn’t slap me when I kissed her. Which means the odds are still in my favor.’ No matter what L wanted for Michiko, in the end, it was her decision. With that thought, L focused back on the screen. He had been trying to find a way to visit the Oborin son on his home environment. He had thought about just dropping by, but that had ‘suspicious’ written all over it. As it stood, he was waiting for an email reply from Ruslan, accepting L’s inquiry about touring the facility. He expected a huge ‘hell no’ after the way he had treated Ruslan’s face at the club. But if his father was any indicator, Ruslan could be diplomatic if he wanted to.

L looked at the time on the computer. Michiko’s flight had left at 12pm London time the previous day and was due to arrive at Narita airport at 8:55 that morning. ‘Two hours. She’s likely to be exhausted when she arrives.’ However, L had felt the necessity of sending one small text a few hours earlier. One that was probably throwing Michiko for a loop and scaring her senseless.

We need to talk.

Yes, he acknowledged that he was a dick for phrasing it like that, but it was to the point. And it was truthful. They did need to talk. Not just about what happened on Christmas, but about a variety of things. If they didn’t lay the full truth out on the table, how was any relationship built on lies expected to last for an extended period of time?

‘I’ve seen what lies can destroy. She doesn’t deserve that.’ L sighed and stood from his chair. The email he was waiting for would be sent to his phone when it arrived. For now, L had to get food so Michiko didn’t starve. Unlike him, she had more varied taste buds which meant the grocery bill had gone up a bit in the months she had been working for him.

‘With. Working with me.’ L was still trying to wrap his brain around the whole ‘partner’ thing. Hell, he was trying to wrap his brain around a lot of things, really, and that had been throwing him off his game. For now, he was trying to focus on one small task at a time to help keep his head on straight. ‘Food. Right. Thankfully the grocery store is only a block away. Wish I didn’t have to walk, but I’m still glad Piero volunteered to pick up Michiko at the airport.’ He grabbed his jacket before stepping out into the cold air. As he headed towards the gate of the complex, a light mixture of snow and rain began to fall. Change was in the air and it wasn’t just the weather. ‘Great. Now she has me thinking in metaphors. What is this woman doing to me?’ L shook his head, a small smile gracing his face as he turned up his coat collar to the breeze.

**Later**

Michiko’s stomach turned into knots as she walked into the apartment. She hadn’t received L’s text until her plane had landed, but that had still given her brain half an hour to conjure up the thousands of meanings behind the phrase. As she shook the snow off of her jacket, she heard a small sound in the kitchen.

‘Of course he would be in the kitchen. The light is on in there after all.’ Michi opened the hall closet and shoved her bags in there. They could be dealt with later. She took a deep breath to steady her thoughts and then walked towards the kitchen doorway.

Inside, she could smell a mixture of tea and sugar. Copious amounts of sugar. ‘So this isn’t his first cup of coffee.’ she thought to herself. L was crouched in his normal seat at the table, left shoulder facing the doorway.

“Welcome home.” L said turning to look over his shoulder at Michiko. She looked worn out, as one does when they have been flying in a cramped space for an extended period of time. But her eyes lit up when L said the word ‘home’.

‘Home. That’s a new term for me. But I guess I could call this home, however temporary it may be.’ Michi took a seat across from L and noticed that he had made her a cup of the peach tea that she liked. She also noticed her personal file next to L’s elbow. ‘Aw, fuck. The conversations going to be about me.’ Michiko hated being the center of attention. It made her paranoid as all hell. This situation was even more paranoia inducing because she was looking at a man who already knew everything about her. ‘So what did he find out?’ Her hand began to tremble slightly as she raised the tea to her lips. As she lowered the cup, L put his hand over hers to steady her motions.

“Don’t read too much into this. I realize that I made the parameters of this conversation appear to be larger in scope than they truly are. For that, I am sorry if I caused you any undue stress.” L retracted his hand and sat back, arms resting over his knees. “I just wanted to talk to you about your past and current situation.”

“What do you need to know that isn’t in the file?” Michi nodded at the folder taking another, calmer sip of the tea.

“At the police academy, did they ever teach you about the Unspoken Rule in a detectives line of work?” When Michiko shook her head, L leaned forward. “People lie. Files hide. In that sense, you will never get the full truth unless you get a confession that matches the facts in the file or a witness collaboration.” L sat back. “As it stands, I want to hear your whole story from you. You have a horrible poker face so I will know when you are lying.”

“What’s my tell?” Michiko smirked as she took another sip of tea, amused that this man already noticed the tiny thing that gave her away in a moment's notice. The only other person who knew about her tic was her father, military trained as he was to spot such things.

“Your mouth is more closed when you lie versus the slight parting of the lips you display when you tell the truth.”

“And how long have you been looking at my lips since I started working here?”

“Since that tango lesson back in September.” L answered, frankly. “You were clearly trying to battle with something internally and it showed through your lip movements.”

“I… wasn’t expecting an actual answer.” Michiko felt the heat rise to her ears.

“I have always associated kitchens with honesty, ever since I was young.” L replied. “If you don’t want the truth or half-truth, don’t talk to me in a kitchen. Just an odd fact about me.” L took a deep swig of coffee before setting the cup aside. “So. Tell me. What do I need to know about you, Michiko? Do you still prefer that name?”

Michiko laughed. Of course the man would know about her other alias. “Stick with Michiko. That other name is too sweet for me.” L nodded, listening intently. Michiko sighed. ‘Fuck. I can’t get out of this.’

“Okay. I guess I should start at the beginning.”

“Always a good place to start.” L said.

“Thanks for stating the obvious.” Michiko stuck her tongue out at him before continuing. “You probably already know a lot of this, so I apologize if I repeat anything I have already said.” She closed her eyes before continuing. “I was born in Okinawa, Japan on November second, 1985. Mom always associates me with snowfall because there was a cold snap that year and the snow started on the day I was born. I took my mother’s last name because my father did not want me to be labeled as a ‘hapa’ when I started at school. He felt that a more Japanese name would give me enough of a buffer. You also know that my mother kept my grandmothers name purely because she was a wartime baby and my grandmother wanted nothing to do with the man that had left her and her child behind.” She took another sip of tea before continuing. “So, that explains that name. As for the other name, well, you read about the fire bomb that took out my family’s home. It was summer, 1990. My little sister was only a few months old at the time. After the fire, my father received asylum in the U.S. and we moved to his hometown of Salinas, Kansas. Thus, I began my new life as Lily Druerie and my sister, Rose, was raised as a properly spoiled American girl.” Michiko laughed into her cup. “I joke, of course. My sister is far from spoiled, but she does love that damn horse of hers more than life itself. She’ll be starting college soon. Veterinary track. No shock, at all.”

“Is Druerie your father’s surname?” L asked. “His military file had wiped his last name clear off, so I assumed that was the case.”

“You guessed correctly. The name Lily was actually my paternal great-grandmother’s name. She and my great-grandfather met in Germany. From what I was told, Shannon Druerie was born in Scotland and was on holiday with his roommates from his university. In Berlin, he met Lily Amia. Two years later, my grandfather, Ansel Druerie was born in Dusseldorf. At twenty seven, he emigrated to America and met my grandmother, Tanya O’Keerney at the law firm he was working at at the time. It was a rather quick courtship. I suspect my grandmother was pregnant with my father at the time they got married. They moved to Salinas, Kansas when my brother was two and my aunt was a month old. Dad forged my grandparents signatures and joined the military at sixteen. My aunt, Selna, was always a drifter. Never stays in one place very long. Dad says it’s problems with the IRS, but I think she’s just restless.”

“How long was your father in the military before he met your mother?”

“He was twenty when he met her, so four years of military service.” Michiko looked up. “My fathers name is Sheamus, by the way. Homage to my grandmothers Scotch Irish roots.”

“I surmised as much. So, when you and your family moved to Salinas, they changed your name to Lily Druerie. Wait…” The synapses in L’s brain went into overdrive as he made a connection. “Doesn’t that mean…?”

“Ironic, huh?” Michiko smiled at the table. “The normal meaning of lilies is that of purity. Druerie can only be found in Old English literature. The loose translation is ‘love affair.’”

“Did your parents not notice ‘pure love affair’ was a rather… strange name meaning to give a child?”

“They wanted to stick with a flower theme since my sister’s name was Rose.” Michiko took a sip of tea. “Anyways, the rest of the story is rather generic. Went to elementary school. Middle school. First kiss in eighth grade. First break up in ninth grade. First arrest in tenth grade.”

“Criminal record, huh?” L smirked. “What was that about?”

“Domestic violence charges. I hit my mother when she wouldn’t let me stay out later than my curfew. She felt a night in jail would put my head back on straight. That was where I met Officer Carren. She got me back on track. Even vouched for me when I joined the police academy during college.”

“What made you think you could balance police work and college?”

“Academy training was twenty five weeks, so I had to take a part time student status at the time I did training. After that, I started working for college campus security to put myself through school. University of Chicago is not a bad place to get started in a police career.”

“So what did you major in?”

“Bachelors was in international relations. Started working for the Chicago PD in July, 2008. Started my online masters program in international law that same fall.”

“Balancing a masters thesis and a full time job. Your ability to balance huge, separate tasks was part of what draw me to offer you the position.”

“To be fair, you didn’t offer me the job. Chief Itou offered it to me. You happened to steal me away from them.” Michiko looked over at L as he raised an eyebrow. “Wait… he… you…” Michiko blinked, trying to calm her brain. “You pretended to be Chief Itou, didn’t you?”

“I pretend to be a lot of people, Michiko. But, yes, in this case, I was the one who worked on your hiring process.”

“Explains why it went through so quickly. Normally it takes two years to get those papers approved, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. I didn’t exactly have time to waste.” L flipped open Michiko’s file. “Melody interviewed you in February, 2012 and you got the approval in August, 2012.” L looked up at Michiko’s stunned face. “It didn’t occur to you sooner that I had a hand in this? If I was a man that had feelings, I would say I was hurt, Ms. Nakashima.”

“I think I always knew. I just didn’t want to think one person could hold so much power, is all.” Michiko looked in her cup, a strong desire for harder liquid to be in her tea. “What made you want me that much?” After realizing how double edged that phrase was, she quickly covered her face to hide the blush that was quickly rising up her face. “I didn’t mean it that way…”

“I know what you meant. But I think I’ll answer both sides of the question anyways.”

“We’re not at the Caves anymore, L.” Michiko dropped her hands so L could see she was serious about not teasing her at that moment.

“I know we aren’t. But I allow myself very few pleasures in life. One of which is pushing people who are just asking to be pushed.” L’s eyes ran over Michiko, taking in her low comfort level. He had not backed down from a challenge yet.

“As far as your expertise goes, I was very intrigued by your assessment of the Neston Blake assassination case. What tipped you off that it was a case of mistaken identity?”

“When I spoke to his third mistress, I began to realise that he was a man that needed to get away. His life had gotten too complicated too quickly. A emotionally and physically barren wife. First mistress claiming two of her children were his. Second mistress was threatening blackmail if he didn’t continue to support her financially. The third mistress was the most level headed out of all of them. A little too level headed. Plus, all of these women lived within five city blocks of each other. I gave my superior my report and he called me insane. I was this close to being fired, but my ass was saved by the dental records. Nowhere near a close match. Well, you know how it all ended.”

“I would still like to hear it from you.” L could hear the slight twinge of pride in Michiko’s voice. It wasn’t often he came across someone who was so mentally unwilling to accept their skills and strengths. Yet, Michiko’s voice displayed the pride her body and eyes refused to show. Yes, L had to admit to himself that he was hooked. What it was was not easy to pinpoint, but L had accepted that this woman was certainly worth the long wait.

“Bahsically the ahsshat had payed some pah suckah to take his place while he hid in Puerto Ricah with yet ahnothah mistress.” Michiko slapped her hand over her mouth. “Crap. I’m sorry. Sometimes my accents slip out when I’m not paying attention.”

“Bostonian accents are easy to affect when you relax your jaw muscles enough.” L tilted his head. “I would take a guess that they are relaxed because you are feeling safe and calm in this environment.”

“I… guess that makes sense.” Michiko went to stand up, stretching to her full height. “I hope you don’t think it rude if I catch a few winks. I’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed in a couple hours.” She began to walk out, but was pulled back when L caught her wrist. She froze, forcing herself to not look over at L.

“Before you go, I do need to clarify something.” L stood up next to Michiko, still maintaining his grip on her wrist. “To answer your Freudian slip, I knew I wanted you before I officially met you.” Michiko looked back at L, questions written across her face. L simply smiled and let go of her wrist. He then leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I happen to like it when women clean out the sweets aisles before I get to the store.” He walked out of the room, leaving Michiko to sift his words through her oxygen starved brain cells.

‘We could have met on my first day here. We kept missing each other by a few seconds.’ She smiled at the thought. Her grin spread as she thought up the perfect retort. “So,” she said loudly, “you’re saying you liked me for my appetite? Is that your sly way of calling me fat?” L simply laughed at her attempt to put him in a corner.

“Get some rest. You will need your energy later.” L let the phrase hang in the air, double entendre and all. Michiko simply shook her head and laid down on the couch.

‘Home, indeed.’ Michi thought to herself and she let the sound of L’s rhythmic typing lull her to sleep.


	23. A Man To Be Feared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

**February 1st, 2013**

Michiko slowly woke up to the strains of a song coming from her phone. ‘Oh right. We have to catch that plane.’ She groaned into her pillow and groped around for her elusive phone. As panic began to pierce her haze of sleep, she felt a cool grip on her hand before her phone was placed in it. She moved her head to look up at L, taking in the small smirk on his face. “What are you looking so smug about, Mr. I-Can-Function-Without-Sleep?”

“You need to find a less conspicuous alarm to wake up to, Michiko. I don’t want to answer any questions next time we’re at the House.” The House was in reference to Wammy’s House back in Winchester. Michiko’s face took on a quizzical look as she turned over her phone. The song playing was ‘Bring You To My Senses’ by Il Volo.

‘Aw crap. And he isn’t going to believe me if I say I put it on randomizer.’ She groaned again and slammed her head back onto the pillow. “I would be more motivated to get up if I smelled coffee.”

“There’s a good reason you can’t smell it. Your head is in a pillow.” L spoke from the safety of the computer room.

“Har de har. You’re a bundle of laughs.” Michiko threw off her comforter and sat up, quickly feeling the cool air on her overheated skin. ‘Maybe I should have worn that onesie.’ she thought as she looked down at her black shorts and white tank top. Then again, the cold was waking her up better than the idea of coffee. ‘Screw that. I still need caffeine.’ As Michiko stood up and moved towards the kitchen, she heard the coffee timer go off. ‘Hm. That means L hasn’t gotten his coffee yet. I think I’ll be nice and bring him some.’ Michiko grabbed two coffee mugs and filled them halfway with coffee. The other half was then filled with sugar cubes. Having been around L consistently for almost five months, Michi had learned how the man took his coffee. ‘And yet much of him still remains a mystery.’ It was hard to believe they had only known each other for five months. It had and still felt like an eternity.

Michiko turned and walked towards the computer room. L was crouched in front of his computers, as usual. From what Michiko could see, L looked to be tracking their flight status, the economic climate of Bulgaria, and tracking a car location. Whose car that was was only privy to L at the moment. Michiko shook her head. “Here. I brought you coffee.”

“Ah. Thank you. I was just going to ask if you could bring me some.” L held out his hand for the coffee, not turning away from the screen. Michiko placed it in his hand and then stood by his chair, waiting for him to fill her in on what he had. There was no use in pressing the man for information. He would give it to you in his own time. After a few sips of coffee, L set aside the cup and leaned back on his heels. “I had an associate put some tracking devices on Ruslan’s main car. From what I can gather, Ruslan is already sending his car and possibly two more, to the airport to meet us there. The slow rate of speed indicates that it knows it’s being followed.”

“But we don’t leave Japan for another hour, yet.” Michiko looked at the screen. “What is he planning?”

L was silent. He didn’t want to scare Michiko unnecessarily, but there was something that weighed heavily on his mind. “We very well may be walking into a kidnapping situation. People do not overly prepare for someone’s arrival unless there is some sense of obsession. Families and friends do it out of an obsession of love and care. But this obsession is not safe. You need to be ready for a worst case scenario.”

“I need to be prepared? What about you?”

“I’m always thinking about the worst case scenario. In every aspect of my life.” L sighed and turned the chair to look at Michiko. “Um… aren’t you cold?”

Michiko smiled. She didn’t think her choice of sleepwear was that questionable. “I was just about to get dressed for the flight. I did just wake up after all.”

“Yes, but it would be highly inconvenient if you got sick in Bulgaria. While their healthcare is good, the nearest hospital to Ruslan’s facility is over two hours away.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll grab something warmer.” Michiko walked out of the room to the hall closet. L closed his eyes and shook the thoughts from his mind.

‘We both keep forgetting that I’m only human.’ L thought to himself as he looked back at the screen. He could only hope that things would be more uneventful that he had predicted ‘But if I know anything about Ruslan’s pride, nothing will be that simple.’ L ground his teeth, staring at the car movement screen. One thing was certain: this trip was not going to be a vacation. ‘Which reminds me...’ L quickly brought up a secure video chat log and typed in Melody’s information. ‘She should be awake still.’ L thought.

“What’s that for?” Michiko had come back into the room, dressed in dark blue jeans and a white cowlneck sweater. She pulled up a chair next to L and sat with her knees pulled to her chest, as she was still feeling cold.

“Before I leave for another aspect of a mission, I always contact someone at Whammy House and give them details in case something should go wrong. It’s just good practice.”

“But why Melody?”

“She’s sensible and I figured she may want to see this current setup.” L pressed call before Michiko could ask what he was referring to by ‘setup’. Melody picked up on the second ring.

“Well, hey there, lovebirds.” Melody said. She was wearing a black turtleneck with a white pearl necklace. As she sipped her coffee, Michiko saw her eyebrows raise. “You… you two match.” Michiko looked down at her outfit. She didn’t realize at the time that her blue jean/white long sleeve shirt combination matched L’s. Not to mention her legs being pulled up to her chest nearly matched his normal crouched sitting position.

“Yes. I thought you would find that amusing as well.” L said while trying to keep a smile off his face. Michiko felt her face warm up and immediately dropped her legs into a crossed sitting position.

“Too late, Michiko. I saw that.” Melody smiled at the camera. She changed the subject to alleviate Michiko’s discomfort. “So. Leaving me the details, I take it?”

“Yes, I’m sending you the email right now.” L pressed a button and Michiko heard the ding on Melody’s end. Melody took a quick glance at the contents. “Okay. What’s the E.A.R. going to be this time?”

“I’m expanding it another five hundred miles. Ruslan is capable of anything, but I don’t think he will go further than that from his base of operations.”

“A thousand miles? Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?” Melody’s look of concern piqued Michiko’s interest.

“Wait? What’s an E.A.R.?” Michiko interrupted.

“Estimated Abduction Radius.” L deadpanned. Michiko felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of ‘abduction’. Was it really possible that the two of them were in that much danger?

“I’ll put it in the map system.” Melody tapped on her keyboard and soon a map appeared on one of L’s screens. A few taps later, and a transparent red ring appeared approximately where L and Michiko would be within the E.A.R. Seeing the ring made Michiko very nervous, but she trusted that L would make sure every safety measure was in place to get them out if it was needed.

“Well. Is that everything?” Melody tilted her head at the pair. “I know you two have a plane to catch.”

**Later**

L and Michiko stepped off the plane and onto Bulgarian soil. Sofia Airport was a small terminal that was surrounded by military bases. As it was, security was quite tight and it took close to forty-five minutes to get through customs. L and Michiko stepped out into the sunlight and immediately saw Ruslan and his men. Sure enough, there were three black cars in a line at the curb. Michiko’s fear rose, but she kept her smile in place.

“Glad to see you two made it safely.” Ruslan said with forced joviality. His men held open one of the mini van’s doors and L and Michiko slipped in with Ruslan and one of his men following. Michiko and L sat with their backs facing the driver and looking at Ruslan.

“Let’s get out of this nasty traffic and then we can talk safely.” Ruslan leaned forward and shouted something at the driver, who soon pulled forward.

L made quick work scanning the surroundings. Tinted windows. Automatic locks. Gun in other mans holster. And judging by how Ruslan’s jacket was drooping to one side, it was indicative he also had a gun on him. The odds were not great to them getting out in one piece.

After a two hour ride in silence, the engine was cut short on the car. L looked over to see nothing but barren wastelands to the left and right. He quickly reached for Michiko’s hand, to try and calm her.

“Now that I have your attention…” Ruslan pulled out his gun, prompting the man next to him to pull his out as well. “... the girl stays here. You follow my comrade to the car in back.” When L made no indication of moving, Ruslan pulled the hammer back on the gun and pointed it at Michiko. “You two will see each other later. Whether or not that is alive or in the afterlife depends on your actions now, Denueve.” L looked over at Michiko. She was staring straight into the barrel of the gun with a forced look of calm. When she spoke, her voice cracked, giving away her fear.

“Go, Denueve. I’m okay.” As she said it, the other man grabbed L’s arm and pulled him out of the van, pushing the gun into his back. The man shouted in Russian that L needed to move to the car furthest back. Once at the car, L felt something strike the back of his head and everything went black. His final thought was to Michiko, hoping she was safe.

 **February 15th, 2013**.

‘Two weeks. Two fucking weeks. Where is she?’ L was slowly losing his sanity in the tiny cell he had woken up in. The concrete walls did nothing to keep him warm, so he had been forced to huddle under a small metal hanging bed. The only blanket he had was being used to block the cold coming in from the small window high above him, so he was relying on the fact that body heat rises to warm up the metal above and tried to keep himself in a pocket of heat.

Meals were small and only came once daily, so L had to keep his energy by not pacing the way he normally would have if he was bored. They couldn’t be too far from where they had stopped in the car since L had woken up in the cell and his headache had not been on the extreme end, which would be the case for someone knocked out repeatedly to keep long distances a secret.

He heard the clinking of a key turning in the lock. Two guards came into the room and dragged L out from under the bed, tying a blindfold around his eyes. It was no use, however, since L knew exactly where they were taking him. The same room he had been taken to for the last two weeks to be ‘interviewed’ as to his true identity and purpose. For the last week he had simply stayed silent, enraging the interviewing officer to the point of being beaten within inches of his life. L just didn’t care anymore. Until he saw Michiko, he wouldn’t say a damn word.

L was led into the room and pushed into the metal chair. When the blindfold was removed, he knew something was wrong. Sitting before him was not the commanding officer from the last two weeks. Ruslan grinned at L, taking the non-plussed look on the detective’s face as one of defeat.

“Mishka here has been telling me that you won’t talk.” Ruslan leaned forward to look L in the eye. “Luckily, I know there are other ways to make a man talk.” Ruslan reached under the table and pulled out a small portable digital TV. After adjusting the wavelength settings, he turned it around to face L.

In the viewing screen, Michiko was sitting in a cell like L’s. Her arms were tied up above her head and her clothes were clearly ripped and stained. L only hoped that wasn’t blood he was looking at on her clothes. Her hair was tangled and hung around her face and down her back in broken waves. As if she knew she was being watched, her head slowly rolled to the right, looking up at the camera. One eye was swollen shut and her lips were clearly bleeding.

“What the fuck are you doing to her?” L whispered.

“Just having a little fun. It’s been clear you two aren’t as close as you claim to be.” Ruslan said with an evil twinkle in his eyes. It took only moments for the reference to hit L hard in the stomach.

“You bastard…” L lunged across the table, only to be pinned down by the two guards.

“Tell you what. I’ll let you see your little slut. Maybe that will get you to talk.” Ruslan stood up and snapped his fingers at the guards. They didn’t even bother to put a blindfold on him as they led him into the deepest part of the holding area. In the dim light, L could see various young women in cells cowering in fear as Ruslan walked towards the end of the corridor.

“One night. One night for you two to pray before you both die. Or finally give up your information. It cannot be said I’m a totally heartless bastard.” Ruslan’s broken laughter bounced off the walls as he opened the door and shoved L into the room. “Don’t get too comfortable. We’re always watching.” The door slammed behind L and orders were given for a guard to stand by the door until morning.

L quickly scrambled to Michiko, reaching up to untie her arms. He slowly lowered her arms before pulling her close, sitting on the metal bed for support. He wanted to kill Ruslan. Never in his life had he ever wanted to rip someone limb for limb this much in his life. But seeing the shell of the woman in front of him…

“I’m here, Michiko.” L said softly. He kissed her hair, trying to wake the woman from her shock. But she remained limp in his arms, staring off in the distance at some horrible memory. “I am so sorry… I should have gotten us out of here sooner. Please forgive me…” L shut his eyes, taking in three deep breaths before looking back at Michiko. “Look at me.”

Michiko’s eyes slowly focused on L’s form. Her breathing was shallow, but she swallowed before reaching up to stroke L’s face. “Hey, stranger…” her voice cracked.

“Hey.” L was so happy to hear her voice.

“So… did you say anything?”

“No. Did you?”

“Came close. But no.” Michiko groaned as her awareness came back to her body. “Fuck… I can’t do this anymore.”

“I won’t let you. I’m not letting anyone else touch you ever again.” L kissed Michiko’s head as he looked up at the camera and spoke directly towards it.

“Because… for the first time in my life… I’m willing to admit I’m out of my element.”


	24. All in the Disguise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

February 15th, 2013, Late at night

“ _Because… for the first time in my life… I’m willing to admit I’m out of my element_.”

The guard turned off the viewing screen and turned in his chair. “I think he’s finally ready to crack. Let the extraction team know.” The man at the door nodded pulling out a radio to start opening the lines of communication. The guard at the viewfinder walked over to the door, accepting the giant ring of keys before turning down the hallway to Ruslan’s office. He knocked twice and opened the door without waiting for acknowledgement.

“What do you want?” Ruslan looked up from his desk, mid stroke on an order to shut down a business that owed him too much back pay.

“It’s Denueve, sir. I think he’s finally ready to talk.”

“That didn’t take long at all.” Ruslan smiled widely, capping his pen as he stood. “Shall I come with you to get the information?”

“Not necessary, sir. We’ll bring him to you. Would you like the girl as well?”

“Naw. She’s made herself as useful as any whore can.” Ruslan laughed darkly, looking over at his sword that leaned against the fireplace. “Once she sees what we can do to her associate, maybe she’ll become a little more of a willing bedfellow. For now, I’m more concerned about the information I can get from Mr. Mysterious. Bring him here instead of the usual interrogation chamber. I have better access to persuasive techniques here.” When the guard didn’t immediately move from his position, Ruslan tilted his head, inviting the man to speak.

“Sir… if this is indeed the mysterious L character we’ve been hearing about, we may want to consider extra reinforcements in the room. I’ve heard tales from my days in government detail.” The guard shifted nervously, making Ruslan laugh.

“For your peace of mind, I would not say no. I figure four men, one to each corner would be enough of a deterrent for him. You and Matvey can stay by him for extra protection, if you wish.”

“Yes, sir.” The guard saluted and headed out the door. After a quick walk to the barracks room, he barked for four soldiers to go to Rulan for further orders. Yana, a tall woman with a blunt blonde haircut followed him to the cells along with Matvey, a young looking soldier who had, in fact, seen many years in combat before signing up for the Russian intelligence force. They headed down the dark hallway ignoring the pleas and cries from the women around them as they headed to the very last cell. The guard pulled out the key ring and opened the cell, allowing Yana and Matvey to go in before him.

“Denueve?” The guard looked down at the man who held a young woman tightly in his arms. The dark eyes didn’t blink as they looked up at him. “Leave the girl here. You are wanted.”

“I’ve been wanted for most of my life. What else is new?” L deadpanned as he stayed on the floor, unwilling to let go of Michiko who was trembling with fear, her face buried in his neck.

“I will leave Yana to watch over your little friend here. She’s not one to torture women. She has a lot more fun with stubborn men who refuse to do what they are told.” Yana cracked her knuckles to punctuate the statement.

L looked at the three faces in turn and sighed. He put a hand on Michiko’s shoulder and gently pulled her away from him. Panic filled her eyes as she shook her head silently protesting the inevitable.

“Michiko… stay strong. You will get out of here. I promise.” L smiled tightly as he stood up. He felt a gentle tug on his pant leg and looked back down.

“Stay safe…” Michiko whispered before reluctantly letting him go, silent tears falling down her cheeks. L squared his shoulders and walked over to the open door waiting for the inevitable blindfold. When he heard the door shut behind him and the two male guards step to his sides he looked over at the taller one, suspiciously.

“There’s no need to blindfold you. You won’t be coming back.” Michiko must have heard what was said because she let out a choked sob before trying to stand. The female guard grabbed her wrists and pulled her back down, barking the word ‘stay’ in Russian.

“She’s a human being. Not a dog. Understand me?” L said over his shoulder. He saw the woman tersely nod, holding a hysterical Michiko down as she tried to fight and scratch with what little strength she had to get to L. To the only safety she knew or trusted. Her cries followed him down the hall, shattering his heart in a million pieces.

 _How did I let it come to this? How did I let her get dragged so far into my schemes?_ L thought sadly as he walked up the stone steps, one guard in front and another behind.

 _Because she worked her way into your life. And you let her._ His inner voice spoke gently. He was used to a normally abrasive and harsh voice of reality, but this inner voice was calm.

_So you are saying it is my fault._

_On the contrary. She is just as culpable, just as accepting of the consequences_ the voice said. _Now why don’t we talk about what you’re really scared of._

_Not making it out of here alive._

_No. Not that._ The voice prodded L to admit the one thing he was terrified of. The one reality he didn’t want to be true.

 _I never got a chance to tell her how I truly feel._ It had all been subjective supposition since that kiss under the mistletoe. They both assumed one cared for the other, but neither of them had slipped up with the ‘l-word’ yet. He had never gotten to broach the topic fully on that night she had returned to the apartment. The conversation had gone off the rails on her life story and a small implication that he liked her appetite (which he was still kicking himself for), but it had never gotten to where he really wanted to: where did they see themselves as a couple in a relationship outside the professional realm?

“Get in there.” The guard opened a door as the other guard stayed close on L’s heels to keep him from running. L didn’t know the layout of the building, so there was no point. He walked in and quickly assessed his situation. The room was garish and over opulent. Gold trim ran around the top and bottom of the room while the cream marble floor glistened in the firelight. Modern bulbs lit up the rest of the room from sconces set in every six feet around the room. Four soldiers stood watch from each corner of the room while Ruslan sat at his desk grinning like a Cheshire cat. A single wood chair was set in the middle of the room. By process of elimination, L decided he had to sit there. He walked over and sat while his two walking companions stood station just behind him.

Silence filled the room for a moment before Ruslan let out a low laugh. “Well, well, well… you’re in a bit of a pickle, aren’t you, Mr. Denueve?”

“Seems so.” L said tersely. “What made you bring me here?”

“My guards overheard your plea. That you were ‘out of your element’, as it were.” Ruslan stood and walked around his desk slowly, running his fingers along the dark wood. “Only a man who is in a desperate situation would say such a thing.” When L did not reply, Ruslan snapped his fingers, bringing a soldier to his side. After whispering something to him, the guard saluted and left the room through a side door. From the corner of his eye, L caught the slightest glimpse of a four poster bed with ropes tied to each post before the door shut. His mind went to a dark place and his stomach dropped, fearing that Michiko had already been subjected to that room.

“You can’t seriously believe you were able to keep the wool over my eyes for this long. I know who you really are. I found those tracking devices on my cars. Several inside sources gave me enough pieces of the puzzle that made me almost certain as to your real identity. It wasn’t until I let you fight me in the back alley behind that club that I got to see your true fighting style and almost fully confirm who you really are.”

“You want to quit extrapolating and tell me who you think I am?” L’s heart pounded. This was it. He was done for.

“Oh we’ll get to that soon enough. But first… let’s talk about your little girlfriend.” L’s eyes narrowed and Ruslan smirked at the motion. “Pretty little thing she is. Very vocal too. I have to thank you for letting us start our adventures together back at the Lair. It was nice to see what she could do in more traditional settings.” L almost got out of his seat if it hadn’t been for the guards hands quickly holding him in place.

“What are you implying that you can’t outright admit as a man?” L said, his eyes burning into Ruslan to tell him the truth. The extent of what he had done would dictate L’s future actions.

“You have to forgive me. My native tongue can be more flowery than most.” Ruslan leaned against the front of his desk, crossing his arms as he looked at the agitated man before him. “You want me to admit I fucked her? I most certainly did. And she was a good little fighter through the whole thing. Just how I like them. That's what the rope is there for: keep them tied down so I can break them how I want to.”

L didn’t move. Everything inside him stilled to a deadly calm as he processed what had just been said. He felt nothing. He pulled his legs up in front of him and sat on the balls of his feet, the calm radiating through the room and causing some of the men to shift nervously in their stations.

This was the side of L that Melody always warned newcomers about. _If he goes silent and his eyes aren’t blinking, keep the option of ‘running for your life’ on the table_. Ruslan didn’t read the room and, instead, looked over L’s body language and read it as ‘defeat’.

“Unfortunately, she never did give me much in terms of information. You must have trained her well.” Ruslan looked up as the guard he had sent out came back in with a non-descript black notebook. “But that is neither here nor there. Let’s talk about you.” The guard handed the notebook to Ruslan and went back to his post. “I’ll be brief: you know my father was looking for the Death Notes of lore. Whispered about. Feared. And, thanks to some unwilling informant, we were able to come across one ourselves.” Ruslan stroked the book almost reverently. “A book that grants death. What more could you possibly want? We tested it a couple times, of course. And each test was as successful as the last.”

“And what does your father think of your endeavors?” L spoke softly, knowing full well where this conversation was headed.

“Wouldn’t know. In order to take over his whole operation, I thought it convenient for him to suffer a heart attack shortly after writing over all properties and employer rights to me three weeks ago.” Ruslan casually flipped open to a page in the book and walked over to L, his finger pointing to the flourished, handwritten notary of ‘Abram Oberin’ with the words ‘heart attack’ and the date ‘January 25th, 2013, 11:59 pm’.

“I made sure to have the meeting on the 24th, emphasising the fact that my father was getting older and had to prepare for an uncertain future.” Ruslan chuckled before walking back to his desk. “Well. Uncertain to him at least.”

“So then why do you have me here? Why bring Karina into it?” L was careful to use Michiko’s code name. He couldn’t be one-hundred percent certain of Ruslan’s reasonings as he rambled like a madman.

“Because I have always been intrigued by you, Denueve. Or are you more comfortable with your more widely known moniker?”

L blinked once, acknowledging that the severity of the situation had jumped to ‘frying pan into the fire’. “You knew since the party.”

  
“I only suspected it, but when I saw you and your little toy closely inspecting the painting by your former colleague, I was almost certain I had you figured. That was why I deliberately asked for that painting to be delivered to that site. My father was modestly suspicious of you, but I was deeply intrigued. I’ve heard the stories, the legends. Your name gets around… L.”

“Cue the rousing applause.” L took in a breath and closed his eyes. “Are you ever going to tell me why I’m here?”

“Because I want what you have. You are a man feared and revered around the world. I must have it. I want to be you.” Ruslan let out a sound that was close to erotic in nature. “To have the whole world at my fingertips. For every nation’s leaders to bow to my every whim. With your notoriety, I can have it all.”

“People lie and act like they’re me all the time. What is stopping you from pulling the same trick?”

“Because all of those other clowns get caught and called out eventually. No. I want your whole kingdom. Your operations. Your associates. And this time…” He patted the Death Note beside him. “... this time I will be certain of your death.”

“How did you get the information anyways?” L had a hunch where this was headed, but he needed to see it through.

“Your little Russian contact... Terrence, was it? He didn’t last very long after we tortured your story of your fake death and a rough idea of where you were operating out of him.” L’s hands clenched into tight fists knowing where this was snowballing. “We then ransacked his office and found the location of your home in England. It didn’t take much persuasion for the hackers under our ‘care’ to pull up your mental health records from the therapist before the one you currently have employed. Smart of her to take everything offline, but not smart enough to completely erase all possible traces of former records.”

“And you really think people loyal to me are just going to roll over and bow down to you? They don’t even hold me up on that high a pedestal.”

“But they are in awe of you anyways. And that is enough for me to control them.” Ruslan flipped open the notebook and pulled out his pen. “L-A-W-L-I-E-T. I assume I have that correct?” Sarcasm flooded Ruslan’s voice as he made a show of writing out the first six letters, pausing at the last L. “Oh… about your little woman. I’ll be taking really good care of her in your extended absence.”

“Over my dead body.” L gritted out.

“That’s the plan, _ublyudok_.” Ruslan pointed out the five cameras in the room. “Now that I have your confession and, soon, your death recorded, it will only be a matter of time before everything that is yours will be mine. Say _zdravstvuyte_ to my old man for me, will you?” Ruslan wrote out the last ‘L’ and sat back. “Now to hang out for the last six minutes and forty seconds. How does it feel to know you’re going to be dead soon?”

“No more different than every other time my life was threatened.”

“You are not afraid? Even a little bit?” Ruslan was getting impatient with the cool demeanor L presented. “You have to have some thoughts about what will happen in your absence?”

“The world will turn, I suppose.” L put his thumb in his mouth, chewing on his nail, the only sign his nerves were getting to him. “But I’m sure you know I’m more worried for Karina’s safety than my own.”

“Cut the _dur' nesusvetnaya_. You and I both know her real name. And it certainly rolls off the tongue in a most lovely fashion. Too bad you will never know the pleasure that her body can bring.”

“Pity indeed.” L sighed keeping the rage tamped down. “Now if you’re done trying to play up her wiles to make me jealous, can I at least speak to her in my last moments?”

“I may be cruel, but I am not completely heartless.” Ruslan snapped his fingers and the previous soldier stepped out of the room, coming back quickly with an ancient ТА-57 field telephone set used by the Soviet Union in World War Two. His last words would probably be crackly as hell, but at least he could hear Michko’s voice in his last moments of captivity. L accepted the handheld from the soldier who handed over the case to one of the men behind him. After a ring, a woman answered in Russian.

“Put the captive on the line.” L said in Russian. The phone crackled as it was moved and Michiko’s voice came over the line.

“L? What is going on?” She sounded confused and terrified in one go.

“I don’t have much time, Michiko. Do you remember my promise I made you before I was taken out?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you any sooner. And I’m sorry that I won’t be there for you when you will be at your most confused and scared. Just know…” he took in a breath. This was not how he wanted to say it, because it would break her heart. But he couldn’t leave without telling her. “... just know I love you. I’ll see you on the other side. Someday.”

“L. What are you saying? I don’t understand…” Ruslan held up two hands and flashed it twice, telling L he only had twenty seconds.

“Michiko… I’m out of time. Just know this… you’re the first woman I actually like that I’ve said those words to. Count yourself lucky.”

“You’re making jokes right now?! You idiot!” Michiko let out a broken sob before whispering “I love you too.” L nodded to the soldier to take the phone away, Michiko’s sobs coming through before the ‘click’ silenced her.

“Well… L. It’s been a pleasure to know you. I hope you rest easy.” Ruslan looked down at his watch as it counted down. 5...4...3...2…

1

He looked up, glee all over his face. Seconds ticked past the expected deadline and L still sat there pensively.

“Now don’t tell me you spelled my name wrong?” L tilted his head.

“No… this can’t be…” Ruslan picked up the notebook. It was spelled right. Everything was right.

So what went wrong...

“You might want to use a real Death Note next time.” The anonymous guard behind L spoke up as every soldier in the room pulled their guns and aimed them at Ruslan. Ruslan reached to his side pocket for his weapon, but came up empty. The man who had brought in the notebook and phone tossed the small caliber gun to L, who caught it and stood up.

“Thank you for the coverage, Terrance.” L said as the man, much to Ruslan’s shock.

“But… I had you killed!”

“Yeah. Well, you might want to actually check your dead bodies before believing the people you hired.”

“But I don’t understand…” Ruslan fought as two men tied him to his chair and L smiled gently, rubbing a foot behind his ankle.

“You said it yourself: I have the whole world at my fingertips. And now I have your organization. It has taken years to get to this point, but it is finally over for you, Ruslan Oborin.” L turned and started walking to the door. “Make sure to put him in a secure holding for transport. I’ll be by to check the job. Send a recovery team down to help me assess and relocate the other women. If necessary, call in the W Team. They have a few medical professionals on staff.”

Right now, he had some serious explaining to do to a woman who probably thought he was dead. If he wasn’t dead now, he sure would be once Michiko got a hold of him.

 _Now… how in the world do I make reparations for her? She’s been through hell. How will I ever get her forgiveness?_ L shook his head.

 _I’m not going to expect forgiveness. Or a future. Just focus on getting her to Whammy House, into therapy, and as far away from here as possible_.

 _Focus on the job_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> ublyudok- bastard
> 
> zdravstvuyte- hello
> 
> dur' nesusvetnaya- bullshit


	25. Shattered Remnanats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :) The film being referenced for the quote is Stephen King's 'Hearts of Atlantis'

**February 25, 2013**

After several days of working with the extraction teams and relocating the captured women to their various homes, L was finally standing outside the grounds of Whammy House. He had been tortured, beaten, almost killed. He thought back on what he had been through and had to marvel at the fact everything went as well as it possibly could.

During their talk with Melody about the Estimated Abduction Radius, he had notified Melody through the code they had in place that he would send Michiko to Whammy House for assessment and medical care as needed (code 00 for protection and services), and to care for her while he took care of clean up for ten days after the extraction (the 10 of the code, combined to make 1000 in the mile radius abduction code). He had made sure Yana knew to get Michiko out of the place and on a plane to England as soon as he had left the cell with Terrence and Matvey. By the time he had called Michiko, she was already in the car on the way to the airport, confused and disoriented most certainly. Of course, he made sure Yana only knew as little of the mission beyond the fact that she had to get Michiko to the airport. This way, the rest of the plan stayed as secretive as possible.

And here he stood: outside a gate, terrified of a five-foot five woman who probably had more questions than he had answers for.

 _Well. You’re going to have to face her at some point. No use drawing this out any longer than necessary_. He stepped through the gate and headed towards the entryway. Before he could reach out to the door handle, the door was wrenched inward and he was punched square in the jaw.

“What the fuck were you thinking?! Putting yourself in that kind of danger? Again?!” Mello yelled as Near halfheartedly tried to hold him back.

“I… fully deserved that.” L rubbed his jaw, noting the stubble from his long days of work over the past ten days.

“I have to agree with Mello on this one, Lawliet.” Melody shook her head disapprovingly of the man in front of her. “I told you explicitly to keep Michiko safe. And what happens? She comes back with enough PTSD to keep me in business for years. You are forbidden from dragging her into any more cases unless I clear it. No arguing.” Melody then turned on her heels and walked down the hallway to her office, emphasizing her distaste by slamming the door shut behind her.

“Speaking of Michiko…” L peered around the two men before him. “How is she doing?”

“You’re not getting any third party information from us.” Near pointed up the stairwell. “Go talk to her yourself. She’s in the same room as last time.”

“She went crazy, L. Whatever you subjected her to seriously shattered her psyche.” Mello shook his head as L protested. “No. You are the one that let this happen to her. You didn’t keep her safe. She trusted you and you need to see what happened because of it.” Mello turned and walked with Near towards Melody’s office.

L’s heart and stomach plummeted. It didn’t sound good at all. He chastised himself every step he took up the stairs. He wished time would stop as he walked closer to her room. He prayed the ground would swallow him up as he raised his hand to knock on the door. When no answer was forthcoming, he tried the doorknob and opened the door.

It would have been pitch black in the room had it not been for the light of the full moon casting silvery shadows across every surface. It smelled musty, steamy, and like the air hadn’t been circulated in quite a bit of time. To his left, he saw the bathroom door was open a crack and steam had fogged up the mirror inside. Around his feet, he saw ripped up papers of notes from the mission. Books laying half open and piled around the room told him she had been trying desperately to distract herself from her inner demons. As he shut the door behind him, he saw movement by the window, a trembling silhouette standing from the window seat to get a better look at their visitor. Her hair was shorter than he remembered and she was certainly skinnier.

“Michiko…” L whispered before he had to duck as a lamp came flying at his head. It shattered behind him, glass raining down on his back. He stood and tried to move forward, only to be pelted left and right with pillows, bars of soap, books, anything Michiko could grab near her in the dark. In one sudden move, he darted right, pushing off the wall to pull Michiko to the left and pin her arms lightly against the wall to keep her from throwing anything else.

“You fucking bastard! What the hell were you thinking?! Did you even know how scared I was? What I went through?” Michiko screamed, kicking and scratching wherever she could reach. L had no answer that would be suitable enough in this situation. So he stayed silent and let the curses and screams ring through his ears, watching this battered, broken woman fight for her freedom like a deer in a snare trap. He was not holding her hard, so she could easily have twisted away. But he could tell she needed a punching bag in that moment. If that was what it would take to get her to talk to him again, he was willing to put up with it.

For her part, Michiko did not want to hurt him, but she had gone through so much. She knew being a secret operative would have its risks. But she never signed up to be tortured, raped, demeaned only to find out her partner could have gotten them out at any point. The tenuous trust between them was gone. Shattered. There was no explanation he could ever give her that would serve as reparation for her pain. So she continued to fight against him with no intention to walk away. The more physical pain he experienced, maybe she could get some satisfaction.

Exhaustion crashed over Michiko as the adrenaline that had launched the fierce emotional attack left her as quickly as it had come. L let go as she slid down against the wall and curled up in a ball, the heels of her hands pressing hard against her eyes. He crouched in front of her, reaching out to try to offer comfort in some form of touch.

“Don’t you dare…” Michiko smacked his hand away, venom dripping from her voice. “Get away from me L. I cannot look at you right now…”

“Michiko… just let me…”

“‘Explain’? Explain what, exactly? How you led me into the vipers nest knowing full well we would be safe? And not sharing that damn information with me? It would hurt a lot less knowing I was raped for our imminent safety rather than the possibility of never seeing freedom ever again.” She looked away, not wanting to see the man’s eyes as they pleaded for her understanding. There was nothing in those eyes but lies. “I went through… all of that... thinking we were in danger. That you were in the same hell as me. But no. No. You had a greater plan. You always do. But you never told me. I had no hope L. No knowledge I would someday be safe. You kept that from me and, because of it, I thought for sure we were going to die. How the fuck can I ever trust you again?”

“I…” L couldn’t answer her question. He was a man that had built his life in lies. How could she trust him?

Michiko laughed. It was hollow, devoid of impact. “I only said I loved you because I believed you were going to die. Now I wish you had. It wouldn’t hurt nearly as much as seeing you here: alive because of your secretive, grand plan.”

Everything moved in slow motion for L as he watched the last door close between him and the only woman who had managed to wedge her way into his heart. He had lost her trust. There was no hope he could ever redeem himself. He stood up quietly, shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to the door, leaving Michiko to her thoughts.

He was clearly not wanted in this situation.

He walked a few steps down the hall to his room next to hers. He did not bother turning on the lights and instead walked to the bathroom, reaching into the shower to turn the water to ‘scald the skin’ hot. After shedding his clothes, he stepped into the steam, not bothering to close the shower door. He had been holding a pressure in his chest since Michiko started hitting him. Ever since he was little, the shower was the only safe place he could truly process the few human emotions that terrified him. Tonight, it was a new one for him: heartbreak.

It wasn’t like grief. With grief, there was almost a finality, a closing of the book. It stretched out, but it was more like an aching memory that faded with time.

This was a raw, tearing apart of the heart. The woman he cared for, the one who was on the other side of this wall, still lived. She was alive, but no longer ‘his’ in the sense he had only started getting used to. To see her every day would be torture. It would be a scar that would never be allowed to heal. She would haunt him until his dying day, her presence a constant reminder of his failures and fuck ups. Yes. There were ‘other fish in the sea’. But there would never be another one as unique as her.

As tears fell down his face and mingled with the stinging water, he remembered their first kiss. Just a few steps down the hall, in the doorway of her assigned room. It was as perfect as any first kiss could be. Because (and he would never admit this outside Melody’s office) that was truly L’s first kiss with someone he had hoped to explore a future with. Even if it was never to be set in stone, he would have loved to have seen where it could have gone. He always enjoyed the chase, the tracking of the path unknown. This would have been new territory for him.

 _Love_. Killed before it could even begin.

He ran his hands through his hair, marveling as the dirt and flecks of blood ran down his body to the drain. _That kiss_. He ran a thumb over his lip, the motion bringing a quote from a film he had seen years ago: “ _It was the kiss by which all the others of his life would be judged and found wanting_.”

_When did I let this happen? I never cared how other people saw me until her. Do I just go back to how I was? And how do I do that after all I’ve done?_

These were not questions for a shower. These were questions for a therapist. Whenever she felt willing to talk to him.

 _I have so much to atone for. For once in my life, I have to owe up to my mistakes. If I don’t, I will lose the only support systems I have in place. Not just the ones I’ve built, but the ones that have been built in my absence or beyond my acknowledgement_. He turned off the water, slicking his hair back in the process. It was time to make a plan of recovery. First things first; he had some emails to write.


	26. Forgive Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only things I own are Michiko Nakashima, Melody Chance, and Piero; characters of my own creation.
> 
> Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. Also, L is 30 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

August 26, 2013

L sat in his chair, flipping through tabs trying to find a common thread between two murders in Colombia when he got a text alert:

**Therapy With Mel: Not Allowed To Call Out**

He had been going to thrice weekly sessions with Melody after the Oborin incident (as they were referring to it). The sessions ranged from an hour to longer depending on what issue they decided to tackle. Mel had made sure to alternate days for Michiko and L so they did not have to see each other (at Michiko’s behest).

Because Michiko’s workplace now believed her dead according to the email L had sent to the Tokyo branch, she had needed to start a new life within Whammy House until they could secure her footing within another detective agency. As it stood, she was teaching meditation and anger management classes for the students. L had seen a beneficial change in his students when he saw them. Even Mello seemed to be mellowing out from the classes (he had admitted to listening in on them off and on).

L sighed as he looked at the calendar. Six months. It had been six months since Michiko had drawn her line in the sand. _I only said I loved you because I believed you were going to die. Now I wish you had. It wouldn’t hurt as much as seeing you here: alive because of your secretive, grand plan._

Every time he thought of it, he felt his chest tighten. It wasn’t as painful as the first three months, when he could barely focus on case studies without something reminding him of Michiko. But it had slowly become more manageable. Melody had gotten it through his head that it was alright for him to not move on. It was called ‘recovery’. When in recovery, one could not expect the normal Kubler-Ross stages of grief to apply. One could remain in one stage indefinitely while glossing over other stages quickly. He had flown through denial and anger (in the forms of shock and anxiety respectively) and was now hung up between bargaining and depression. Until Michiko gave him a chance to talk to her and they could air out their grievances in a healthy setting, they would forever be in limbo.

For now, the physical distancing was the only compromise they could agree on until cooler heads prevailed. L was allowed out of his room Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to teach and check in with others. Michiko had alternating days of Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for the same activities. Sundays were ‘out of town’ activities. They cleared locations with Melody ahead of time where they wanted to go to for the day to get out and get some air and new views.

L sighed and turned off his computer. Melody would get on his ass if he wasn’t at therapy in time. The last time he had opted out she came up with a pot of ice cold water and dumped it on him, proceeding to sit on a locked chest of the towels he could use to dry himself off until they finished their session. He didn’t want to risk another bout of hypothermia for a woman’s rage.

The halls were noticeably quiet when L stepped out of his room. And then he remembered that today was the first day of Mello and Lear’s training ‘camp’ with the other residents of the House. Basically: could you survive in the Scottish Highlands with little to no supplies. L shivered as he remembered going through the same training in his youth. He had wanted to ban the archaic practice, but Mello needed an outlet for his sadistic sense of ‘fun’. The rule was: as long as no one died, they could keep doing the ‘campout’.

Miracles of miracles that no one was dead yet.

L was hyper aware of his footsteps echoing through the empty halls as he came closer to Melody’s office. Knocking twice he pushed open the door to Melody sitting at her desk with two high back chairs in front of her. His suspicion piqued immediately, alarm bells ringing loudly in his head while he tried to keep a straight face.

 _‘Don’t let it be couples counseling. Don’t let it be couples counseling.’_ He pleaded quietly, knowing full well where this was heading. Of course it would be when everyone else was gone. Any rage induced screaming couldn’t be heard by other people and Mello couldn’t listen in whenever he felt like.

He moved to sit in the chair on the left, not looking over at (what he assumed) was another occupied chair. It was ninety-nine percent probable that his calculated mentality would fall apart to Emotion’s irrationality if he looked at Michiko again. He heard a shifting sound to his right, adding to his fear that she most certainly was in the room. The silence was heavy as Melody’s eyes flitted from L to Michiko.

Melody cleared her throat to draw attention to her. “In the six months I have worked with you two, you have made a lot of progress. I’m quite proud of you both. But…” Here she leaned forward and gentured to the distance between L and Michiko “... there are some things you have said to me that I feel the other party needs to hear as well. The tension between you two is making a lot of people nervous. And you can’t avoid each other indefinitely.” When no words were forthcoming from either party, she sighed and looked down at her notes. “Michiko. Let’s start with you…” Michiko let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a moan, the sound triggering a fluttering sensation in L’s chest.

 _‘This is only happening because I haven’t seen or heard from her in so long. I’m finally getting satisfaction from what my memory keeps trying to draw up every night for me. That’s all this is. A psycho-chemical reaction of dopamine and serotonin._ ’ L rationalized away. Melody glanced over at him before tracing a line on the page with her finger.

“Michiko… you said a few sessions ago that you no longer know what trust means because of your interactions with L. Could you elaborate on that further?” L was in a bind. He simultaneously did and did not want to hear what Michiko thought of his decision making and managerial skills.

Michiko sighed, every lilt of her voice punching L over and over in his chest while he kept a decent poker face on. “Honestly… I want to trust him. More than anything. But because I never got full disclosure on anything that I entered into with him, I have to triple guess myself and whether or not I feel what I’m walking into is worth any of the risks L will throw us into.” Michiko shifted and rubbed her arms. “He is a man that sees ten to twenty steps ahead while leaving me five steps back. Just when I think I’m on his level, I trip and lose my understanding again. And this last mission…” Michiko grew silent, L’s past inactions speaking louder than her words.

“What about the last mission, Michiko?” Melody prompted gently.

“I just… I want to know what he didn’t account for. I want to know if there were any slip ups. Or did he know that everything that happened to me was possible in the scenarios that he played out in his head?”

L had to be very careful how he worded the truth. He could not put any damning twist to his speech that could imply Michiko knew full well what she was getting into with him. That she should accept part of the blame for going forward so blindly. For trusting him.

“Honestly… every scenario is a possibility. It just varies with how likely it would have occured, given the situation at hand.” L sat forward resting his hands on his knees. “Were the things that happened to you in the realm of statistical probability? Yes. Does that mean I wanted any of those things to happen? No.” He scratched his wrist, taking in the silence before answering the one unasked question: “As to why I didn’t get us out sooner, I couldn’t begin to analyze if you were in the same compound. We had gotten split into two different cars before we arrived. Until I saw you with my own two eyes, I couldn’t signal for the extraction team to come get us. Had I done it too early and you weren’t on the same site, we would have had to scramble resources to find you and could have wasted precious time. Time Ruslan could have used to have you killed.”

“There are days I wish he had…” Michiko sighed. “But… I can’t hold you entirely at fault. You did what you could with the resources at hand. Am I still bitter and nursing feelings of betrayal? Yes. Do I hate you with my entire being like I did six months ago? No, and I hope you can forgive me for how I lashed out at you.”

“You needed a siphon for your anger. I do not hold it against you.” L rolled his shoulders, trying to adjust to the heavy atmosphere in the room. “Yes, your words hurt. But they were your feelings in verbal expression. And your feelings are valid.” Melody smiled at L. The months of emotional re-training was sticking and she was seeing a great growth with the man before her.

“L. Let’s go to you.” Melody glanced over at his chart. “Actually… before I ask this, you need some physical contact for this.” Shocked looks met the therapist. “You two haven’t touched each other in six months. If there is truly anything here, you need to connect before any real trust is going to be reformed. It will also help to get physical response feedback to your answers and responses.” She instructed them to sit on the ground, back to back, cross legged (much to L’s chagrin). She watched with happy butterflies in her stomach as their backs tensed upon contact and then relaxed as their muscle memory realized who was near them. Michiko smiled and L tried to keep a blush from coming up to his cheeks.

They had missed each other. How cute.

“Okay L. Let’s talk about your emotional advancement.” Melody looked down at her notes. “You told me once that you are dealing with some emotional confusion and you are not sure if you are feeling the correct emotions for the scenario at hand. Could you go more in detail as to where this confusion started and what you think the emotions are? If you can’t come up with the right name, try describing it for Michiko.”

“Are we talking about the fact that she can do so much better and should be running away from me before I let us end up in this kind of scenario again?” L said, self-loathing lacing his words with a venom that was surprising to Michiko.

“And you won’t let me make that decision on my own, why?” Michiko asked, her back tensing against L’s.

"I just…" L sighed and rubbed his eyes with his hand. This was not going well. "I'm starting to understand why people say you should never get into the same business model with friends, family, or lovers. Misunderstandings and horrible judgement calls will be the death of those relationships. Ever since… that case, I've had this ache in my chest that won't go away. The closest thing I can compare it to is when suspects have kicked or stabbed me in the chest and it's that lingering throb after the fact."

"Sounds like guilt, to me." Michiko said, softly.

"Yes. Melody said the same thing. I don't like it." L rubbed his chest reflexively. "I even tried proving her wrong by going to a cardiologist. Never been so disappointed to hear I was in great health." Michiko suddenly let out a breath that was halfway between a laugh and a gasp.

"Why were you disappointed?"

"Because it meant I can no longer go back to doing this alone." Silence met his statement and L knew he had to clarify. "To feel this… guilt, means that, at least subconsciously, I'm admitting I'm flawed. I don't know what to say or if I even can ask for some semblance of understanding on your part. All I definitively know is that, ever since you walked through the door of my office, I knew you were going to play a huge role in this case. I just wasn't prepared for how intrusive you would become in my actual way of living."

"Do I have to apologize for that?" L could hear the confusion in her voice, but because they were not allowed to look at each other, he could only speculate based on the tension of her back and the lilt in her voice.

"You can't apologize for what you never predicted could happen. I guess it was just a long time coming. I couldn't remain completely soulless and devoid of any emotion beyond a respect of reason, statistics, and logic." L bit his lip, not wanting to admit the next part because he had denied it for so long. "If I'm ever going to truly understand what my quarry is thinking, I have to get the basics of emotion. As uncomfortable as it is, that's the only way I could ever truly get into someone's mind. The lack of emotional perception cost me so much in the Kira case and the L.A. case. And, more recently, the Oborin case." He glanced over his shoulder to see how his words had fared. Michiko was barely breathing, her shoulders rising and falling with the smallest perceptible movement.

Michiko licked her lips, glancing over at Melody. “What exactly are you looking for L? Confirmation that you’re not a soulless husk?”

“I’m asking for your forgiveness. I do not know what that looks like and nor do I feel like I deserve it. But that is what I am putting on the table.” L was referring to a scenario Mel used in therapy. With any pairing, each person put things on the table for the other to use or push aside at their whim. Good pairings (work, romantic, friendship, familial) both placed conditions on the table, assessed them, and valued them for what it was: the symbolic surrender of self from the other person. Right now, L was testing the waters of ‘surrender’ by leaving the choice of his forgiveness with Michiko. Mel could tell that L really hated being in the limbo of the unknown, but he had to realize that he couldn’t always control the outcomes. Sometimes, he had to let someone else call the shots.

The silence stretched out. Minutes ticked by as L simply took in breath after breath, waiting for a response. He had gotten used to sustaining silence since he had started listening in on the meditation classes through the video feeds. With Mel’s help, he had started channeling his feelings of desperation against a ticking clock by asking himself if there was a time limitation on a very pressing situation that was life or death. If he could answer no, he could spare a few moments to sit with his emotions, as messy as they were. He felt Michiko shift behind him and her hand touch his own.

For her part, Michiko wasn’t sure where she stood. Didn’t forgiveness mean ‘I’m totally fine with everything you put me through’? She could never say that because she was forever changed because of what Ruslan did to her to try and get information from her. The cuts on her arms, the new scar under her chin, and, least of all, the endless torment of being Ruslan’s unwilling bed companion. She wanted to vomit thinking back on it. She couldn’t forgive L for knowingly putting her in that situation (no matter how statistically improbable).

She closed her eyes and thought back to one of her earlier sessions with Melody. What was it she had said? ‘Forgiveness is not about condoning the actions of another. Forgiveness is about releasing deeply held negative feelings that are causing you mental and emotional anguish. The other person cannot feel the heaviness of the anger or distrust that you hold against them, so why bother holding onto it? What good is it doing you?’ Michiko turned around, resting her hand on L’s, causing him to partially turn to look at her, his dark grey eyes causing her heart to skip a beat.

“L… I can’t give you forgiveness for putting me in the situations I ended up in.” He started to turn away, but Michiko squeezed his hand to get his attention. “But… I will let go of my anger towards you. You acted in what you thought was the best way to get to the heart of the case. You did your job, even if I was collateral damage. And you had accounted for it. I know now you never wanted it to occur and that it was beyond your power to stop it.”

“Had I known or seen it was happening, I would have ripped him apart with his own rusty sword.” L sighed and turned his hand over to cradle Michiko’s small hand in his own. “Death penalty by firing squad was too good for him.”

“But at least he’s gone now.” Michiko said softly.

“Dismantling his operations is going to be a pain, but I have a good network.” L started to go on, but Melody cleared her throat, trying to get him back on track. “As for your part, I accept it. I know it can’t be easy for you to be in my presence, all things considered. But I’m glad to hear you won’t hold such poisonous emotions close to you.”

“You’re holding enough guilt for both of us.” Michi squeezed his hand before standing. “Feel free to email me, L. I’m open to communicating again.”

“Would you want to get coffee after your class? Meet in a neutral zone?” L stood and rubbed his neck,nervous of how his advances could be taken so soon after a major revelation.

“How about the garden? We both could do with some sun.” Michiko headed towards the door, pausing for an answer.

“Sure. I’ll bring the coffee.” L nodded his farewell as the door shut, letting out a deep breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Quit patting yourself on the back, Mel.”

“What? I can’t celebrate that two of my most stubborn cases have made a huge breakthrough?” Mel turned around with two small cups of her patented ‘hyper-espresso’. “And I’m very proud of you L. You didn’t place unmeasurable expectations for her forgiveness. You accepted it as she was willing to give. That’s a big step.”

“Hopefully these small meetings will get us on more solid footing.” L accepted the cup, looking into its black depths. “I can’t ever hope to get back to the way we were. But we’re on speaking terms again. That’s more than I could have hoped for six months ago.”

“Cheers to small miracles.” Mel held out her cup for L to tap against. “Also, good on you for calling it a ‘meeting’ and not a ‘date’.”

“One day at a time, Mel.” L finished his coffee, looking at the dregs for some source of guidance to the unknown future ahead of him. “Let’s just take it one day at a time.”


End file.
